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HISTORY OF TROOP "A" IN 
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 



THE HISTORY OF 

TROOP "A" 

New York Cavalry U. S.V. 

from 

May 2 to November 28, 1898 

in the 

Spanish-American War 




PUBLISHED BT THE TROOP 
FOR PR IF ATE CIRCULATION 



R. H. RUSSELL, NEW YORK 
1899 



^^•*^qf65,rti?f^ 




TWO COPIES HEOEIVELD, 

l^ /brarv of f , „ 
Office of tho 






C\ 



Copyright, 1899, 
Uv WILUAM C. CAMMANN 



FIRST COPY, 






List of Editors 

WILLIAM C. CAMMANN, Chairman, 

F. LAWRENCE LEE, 

EDWARD LIDDON PATTERSON, 

STOWE PHELPS, 

IRVING RULAND. 



The sincere thanks of the Editors are due Mr. Franklin 
B. Morse for his pen-and-ink sketches. 



Contents 



PAGE 

Editors' Note 9 

Ordered Out A. Rene Moen . . .13 

Camp Black Francis C. Huntington 17 

Sentry Duty James T. Terry . . 31 

Camp Alger F. Lawrence Lee . . 35 

Detail to Purchase Horses . E. Mortimer Ward . 81 

From Camp Alger to Torto 

Rico Stowe Phelps ... 93 

Unloading Horses .... Leonard S. Homer . 107 

The Camp at Ponce . . . Irving Ridand . .115 

The Mess— a Mess .... Jatnes T. Terry . .133 

The Frelinghuysen Lancers Leland S. Stillman . 139 

Special Delivery .... Thomas Slidell . . . 195 

The Ciales Expedition . George O. Redington . 171 

Detail to Guayama . . . Fritz W. Hoeninghaiis 185 

The Capture of Coamo . . John C. Breckenridge 189 

Baggage Detail to Coa.mo . Robert Emmet . . .195 

A Little Journey in the 

World Harry J. Fisher . . 209 



4 Contents 



PAGE 



Les Invalides John H. hdin . .214 

With General Miles to 

COAMO Willicun C. Camjnann 225 

An Errand of Mercy . . . Charles F. Carjisi . . 241 

Santa Isabel Hetiry I. Riker . .251 

Detail to Utuado .... Frank Outerbridge . 255 

Detail to Goto John D. Lannon . . 293 

The Second Invasion of 

Santa Isabel .... William R. Wright . 275 
Some Experiences of the 

GoMMissARY Department Henry M. Ward . . 287 

Ordered Home Ar/hur M. Blake . . 303 

Commissions Edward L. Patterson . 313 

In Memoriam ,42 

Muster-Out Roli ^.a-x 



Illustrations 



Troop "A"— New York Volunteer QzNdXxy .... Frontispiece 



FACING 
PAGE 



Captain Badgley 13 

Taking the Oath 17 

Camp Black 20 

Mess — Camp Black 20 

Police Duty at Camp Black 24 

General Roe and Staff 24 

Lining Up for Mess — Camp Black 31 

Picket Line — Camp Black 31 

Camp Alger 35 

" The Midway "—Camp Alger 38 

Police Duty — Camp Alger 42 

Grooming the " Mole " 46 

The Cooks 48 

Fighting on Foot 52 

Watering from Pails — Camp Alger 54 

"Lie Down, Lobster" 56 

Orderly 58 

The Sergeants 60 

Swimming Horses in Canal, Great Falls, Md 62 

Bringing Horses from Woods — Camp Alger 66 

' ' Norman's Woe " 70 

Camp near Great Spring, Va 72 

Packing Up 74 

Wagon-train 7^ 

Map cf Practice March in Virginia 78 



Illustrations 



PACING 
PAGE 



Branding Horses 81 

Watering Horses at Chain Bridge, Md 84 

Halt in Woods 86 

Going into Camp 88 

Leading Horses on March 90 

Lieutenant Coudert 93 

Newport News 96 

Quarters on Transport " Massachusetts " 98 

Mess on Transport " Massachusetts" 100 

Scene on Deck of Transport " Massachusetts" 104 

Loading a Mule on Transport , 107 

Unloading Horse 1 1 1 

Troop "A" Camping near Cathedral, Playa de Ponce. 115 

Landing at Playa de Ponce 118 

U. S. S. "Prairie" 118 

Camp at Ponce 122 

Playing Cards — Ponce 126 

Mess Tent — Camp Alger 133 

Lieutenant Frelinghuysen 139 

Sixth Illinois Ox Train 142 

Cathedral at Lares — Horses Picketed 146 

Gun Details 150 

Cathedral and Plaza at Lares 152 

Return of Alcalde — Lares 156 

Plaza and Cathedral — Mayaguez . 160 

Horse-Car 165 

Custom House — Playa de Ponce 168 

Halt on Road — Flag of Truce 171 

Packing Mule 1 76 

Street in Utuado 182 

Parley with a Native 185 

Spanish Prisoners 189 

Hotel at Playa 1 89 

Ox-Cart and Trooper 195 



Illustrations 



FACING 
PACK 



Packing Saddles 207 

Doctor Leale 211 

Madame — Hotel Frangais 218 

Lieutenant Coudert, Sergeants, and Spaniards 225 

Troop " A's " Camp at Coamo 230 

Spanish Officers 234 

Patterson and Pony 241 

Plaza at Adjuntas 246 

Coming Out after Swimming Horses 251 

Swimming Horses — Playa 255 

Woman Fording Stream on Pony 255 

Ruins at Coto 263 

Funeral in Town 263 

Funeral in Country 268 

Man and Pickaninny 275 

War is Hell 280 

Group in Commissary Tent . . 287 

Commissary Supplies — Ponce . 292 

Home, Boys ! Home ! 303 

Bar on Transport " Mississippi " 306 

Bath on Transport " Mississippi " 308 

" Mississippi" at Dock — Jersey City 310 

Transport " Mississippi" 313 

Reveille Roll Call — Camp Alger 316 

MuUer and Bird at Forge 322 

' ' Bearded Ladies " 332 

Hair Cut 338 

Map of Porto Rico 348 



Editors' Note 

^ I ^HE self-appointed compilers of this volume, 
while recognizing the peril that threatens the 
republic from the mass of war literature which has 
recently been poured forth, have presumed, neverthe- 
less, to present it to the consideration of the veter- 
ans of Troop "A." We know that we thereby invite 
the exercise of the critical faculty that camp Hfe 
tends to develop so highly, and cannot hope to es- 
cape the consequences of our rashness. The only 
point to which we desire to call attention in this con- 
nection is that we are deeply conscious of our own 
shortcomings. We know that we appointed our- 
selves, being persons of no literary reputation and 
not likely tO' create one by these presents. We are 
aware that in selecting the contributors we have ig- 
nored much of the best talent to be found in our 
ranks. In extenuation of our failure to call upon the 
mute, inglorious Miltons of our canvas village and 
the undiscovered Xenophons of our Anabasis, we 
can only plead our ignorance of their identity. 

The critical reader will doubtless find our style 
richly seasoned with solecisms, together with an 
occasional grammatical eccentricity to add piquancy 
to the narrative. This emphasizes the principle that 



lo History of Troop ''A" 

the pen is mightier than the sword, and that no man 
can serve two masters; we are soldiers. We fully 
realize that the illustrations represent a lot of com- 
monplace scenes and uninteresting incidents, while 
far more stirring events and more attractive pros- 
pects will not be found depicted between these 
covers. Also that your picture is not in the book, 
while there are five or six Jack Deucehigh, of Tent 
S'teen, in every stage of dress and undress. Or, if 
your portrait does appear in the gallery, you are 
represented in an undignified pose or unbecoming 
costume, to be held up to ridicule of posterity. It is 
a matter of the deepest regret to us that canons of 
art should be overruled by considerations of light, 
films and possibilities of enlargement — mere 
mechanical details — but such is the case. It may 
also be said that many of the most humorous inci- 
dents of the excursion have been totally unnoticed. 
To which we reply that war is a serious matter, and 
not to be dealt with unadvisedly or lightly, but 
soberly and decently. It may be, too, that we don't 
know the story; there were so many of them. Again, 
we apprehend that many of the most puissant 
achievements and chivalrous adventures of the cam- 
paign are unchronicled, or have been ascribed to 
knights faneants, who are in no degree responsible 
therefor. Gentle reader, thus is history made; who 



Editors' Note 1 1 

are we to disregard the time-honored traditions of 
Clio? 

Passing from ourselves to more interesting mat- 
ters, we venture to express the hope that this little 
book will serve in time to come as a mnemonic of the 
days of our light-heartedness — the days when we 
shed care as our ponchos did rain, and a square meal 
stilled the yearnings of soul and stomach alike. We 
have done our utmost to make it as accurate as pos- 
sible, and trust that each fact or allusion may recall 
to the mind of some of us the picture of an incident 
or impression that he does not wish to forget. This 
narrative is not for the public; we feel that we are 
among friends, and can speak of our comrades in 
more appreciative terms than would be decorous 
were we seeking a more extended circulation. 

Repeating the hope that this humble work may 
serve as a record of duty well performed, may help 
to soften the recollection of the occasions of hunger 
and wet, of sickness of body and grieving of spirit, 
and may prove a reminder of the pleasant places in 
which our lot fell, and of how we bore ourselves — in 
short, may be an assistance in realizing the noble 
words of the grand old Roman: — 

''Haec olim meminisse juvabit," 
we have the honor to be, 

Very respectfully, 

THE EDITORS. 




CAPTAIN HOWARD G. BADGLEY. 



Ordered Out 

A. Rene Moen. 

"Aux amies! enfants de le patrie. 
Le jour de gloire est arrive!" 

— La Marselaise. 

"Now we have ta'en the step, and what comes next, 
All seems so strange, yet strangely interesting. 
Our days should be eventful." 

— Looking Forward. 

|N the year i89<S, soon after the 
destruction of the "Maine" in the 
Harbor of Havana, which 
occurred on February 15, it be- 
came apparent to everyone that 
the declaration of war against 
Spain was only a question of time, 
and that in view of the limited 
size of our army it would be 
necessary for the United States to 
[raise several hundred thousand 
men and train and equip them with the least possible 
delay. Naturally our National Guard presented itself 
at once as the speediest means to bring about this 
result. The government of the State of New York, 
through its military head, Major General Charles F. 
Roe, issued an order to the various military organi- 




14 History of Troop "A" 

zations of the State demanding an immediate report 
of the men available to form such an army of volun- 
teers. Accordingly, the Commander of Squadron 
'A," Major Avery D. Andrews, promptly tele- 
graphed to all of its members to meet at the armory, 
and vote by troops as to whether they were willing 
to go- out as an organization in defence of the coun- 
try. The result was reported in less than twenty-four 
hours after receiving the order, and it was "That the 
Squadron volunteered its services to a man if the 
State chose to call upon it for duty in or out of the 
country." Then, with the excitement of the situation 
before us, we awaited further developments. 

Finally, toward the latter part of April, after war 
had been officially declared, the Federal government 
called upon New York State to furnish as its quota 
of men about twelve thousand of its National Guard, 
and among that number demanded two troops of 
cavalry, consisting of eighty-one men and three 
officers each. To the bitter disappointment of the 
entire Squadron, the State insisted that one troop 
should come from New York city and the other from 
Brooklyn. On the evening of Wednesday, April 27, 
we were again ordered to assemble at the armory to 
decide upon the men who should compose a repre- 
sentative troop from the organization. It seemed 
best, after careful consideration, that they should be 



Ordered 'Out i 5 

chosen by lot, an equal number coming from each of 
the three troops, and the excitement ran high. So 
intense was the desire of some men to be counted 
among the number chosen that non-commissioned 
officers resigned their positions to join the ranks as 
privates, and even accepted the duties of saddler 
rather than lose an opportunity to be with their fel- 
low troopers. At last, with a feeling of pride and 
happiness on the part of the lucky members, the re- 
quired quota was secured. 

During the next few days the men were kept busy ; 
horses had to be procured and passed upon by the 
examining board; the Quartermaster's Department 
was rushed to its utmost capacity in equipping the 
outgoing troopers, and each man hurried to collect 
his personal kit and arrange his business for a long 
absence. On Sunday, the day before our departure, 
the armory was the scene of intense excitement. Up- 
stairs in the locker room men were already rolling 
their packs, while in the ring the sound of the anvil 
mingled with the tramping and neighing of each new 
consignment of horses as they dashed around the tan 
bark for inspection by the veterinarian. That night 
most of the men stayed at the Armory, and were up 
before daylight in their anxiety to be ready at the 
appointed hour. At last the rush subsided, and 
promptly at nine o'clock on Monday morning, May 



i6 History of Troop "A" 

2, the troop was formed and, with Captain Howard 
G. Badgley at its head, rode out of the Armory, and 
through crowds of enthusiastic citizens proceeded to 
the Thirty-fourth Street ferry en route for Hemp- 
stead, L. I. The reception accorded the troop 
throughout the Hne of march down Fifth avenue was 
most gratifying, but with it came a feehng of sadness 
as we reahzed that, ou its return, some must surely 
be missing from the ranks. The ferry crossed, the 
troop soon left the city limits, and with the command 
"Route Order!" every one settled down for the long 
trip over the country roads. 

We arrived at Jamaica at noon, where a halt was 
made at Pettit's Hotel for lunch. At two o'clock we 
were again in the saddle, and by six the tents at Camp 
Black were sighted. Before long horses were 
unsaddled, tents were up, and at nightfall Troop 
"A's" first camp had been established. 



Camp Black 

Francis C. Huntington. 

In the stormy east wind straining, 
Heavily the low skies raining. 

— The Lady of Shalott. 

'Wars and rumors of war, 
Fair ones and horses and glory. 
Tender good-bys and mince pies, 
Then rain and a damp, frigid blackness." 

— Rice's Beautiful Evangeline. 

^'''"""' ' '"fffi S we glance back upon the 
'h three weeks at Camp Black 
111. the impression now remain- 
ing in our minds may be ex- 
l)ressed by one word — Rain. 
On further reflection fig- 
ures in outline are seen dim- 
ly, through the rain — the 
corporal of the guard crouch- 
ing by the fire at ten minutes past two A. M., while 
the sergeant inside the tent sleeps under three red 
blankets, and No. i sturdily walks his post, kept 
awake by martial lumblings from a nearby tent. 

Can we forget the pitch black night when Ser- 
geant Pellew twice called out the whole guard to 
play bull-in-the-ring with that wild horse afterward 




1 8 History of Troop "A" 

tamed and known to fame as "Hempstead," alias 
•"Hempv"? The guard formed the ring, and out of 
the blackness in the centre came the horse like a boli 
from Heaven and disappeared in the blackness out- 
side : and no one knew aught of the manner of his go- 
ing, except the man i:.- : ' ' " " ' t went, and all 

he knew ^s-as that he h^ r .-. . . . - 1 c i being killed. 

Can we forget the bitter cold in the tents at night, 
and the calm philosophy of Private "Antonio" 
Terrv. who, having been relieved of his blanket, was 
heard taking comfort unto himself from the fact 
that he h-ad on " a damn warm pair of suspenders.'" 
How new we all were to the business ! How many 
things there were we lined up for and took! 

Each man took the first horse he came to, unless, 
unobs€r\-ed, he could sneak down the line and grab 
his own. How many times each man on the new 
guard put on and took off his overcoat before guard 
mount! How often, in those long bare-back rides 
to water, we had cause to "Remember the Mane!" 
How quick we were to learn the art of taking a bath 
with onlv two quarts of water, and that stolen from 
the barrel of boDed water (so called) resened solely 
for drinking. How slow we were to learn the art of 
t>-ing a slippery halter shank to a wet picket line. 
How often the sentinel swcwe and dropped his car- 
bine in the mud while t}-ing up a loose horse. How 



Camp Black lo 

difficult was the counting of horses in the dark — 
especially the ones that lay down so often you 
couldn't count them. How fond of authority were 
the sergeants and corporals, and the acting cor- 
porals; and how cocksure was each private of just the 
way in which each thing should have been done. We 
were a troop of generals then. 

Such are the vague impressions. Let us try, how- 
ever, to recall a few facts in something like chrono- 
logical order. 

On Monday, May 2nd, 1898, with the farewells of 
Fifth avenue in our ears, and ham sandwiches of Ja- 
maica in our throats, after a long and dreary march 
we emerged from the trees of Garden City upon the 
broad plain of Hempstead. 

There on the left were the white tents of the Sixty- 
ninth, and on the knoll at the right the General's 
Headquarters, while beyond stretched the long 
white lines of the other regiments. It was nearly 
sunset. The clouds hung low over the plain. Bleak 
and autumnal, rather than springlike, was the scene. 

At last, on the further side of the camp, we 
reached the spot selected for us. Here Sergeant 
Patterson, who had been sent ahead with the im- 
pedimenta and a detail consisting of Saddler Throop, 
Private Barry, two colored cooks and a lot of Dutch 
teamsters, had a fire already burning and mess well 



20 History of Troop "A** 

under way. "On right into line! Halt! Front! 
Prepare to dismount! Dismount!" Then followed 
a few brief instructions as to tents and the picket 
line, and immediately all was bustle and seeming 
confusion. 

In the gathering darkness we worked quickly, 
and, although new to the business, the eleven Sibley 
tents were soon up, the poles almost straight and 
sides well pegged down. To be sure we had to take 
them down again next day, in order to get the door- 
ways all in the same straight line and the proper dis- 
tance apart. There were few things that came right 
the first time. 

It was dark before "mess call" came, and we 
gathered around the kitchen fire (built close behind 
the tents on that site afterward famous as Hoening- 
haus Park) and greedily made way with pork and 
beans and cofTee. We could not see what we were 
eating, but we were hungry, and it tasted very good. 

Later it came on to rain, and it was a long, wet, 
weary night for that first guard. The others were 
so tired that the sudden change from the comfort- 
able bed of the night before to the cold straw cov- 
ered ground inside the tents could not prevent 
sleep. And all through the campaign men slept on 
the ground, in tents and without tents, more 
soundly than they had slept at home. 




CAMP BLACK 




FEEDING THE ANIMALS— CAM!' HLACK 



Camp Black 21 

Next moming at twenty-live minutes after five 
came Braith's strong notes of first call, and the first 
day of camp life had begun. The daily list of calls 
(somewhat radically changed on more than one oc- 
casion afterward) was first published as follows: 
A. M. 
5:25 — First Call. 
5 :30 — Reveille and Assembly. 
5:45 — Sick Call. 
6:00 — Stable Call. 
7:00 — Mess Call. 
7:55 — Assembly for guard. 
8 :oo — Assembly. 
8:15 — Assembly for policing. 
8:45 — Stable and Water Call. 
9:45 — Drill Call, Boots and Saddles. 
I o :oo — Assembly. 
1 1 :30 — Recall. 
12:00 — Mess Call. 

P. M. 

3:15 — Drill Call, Boots and Saddles. 

3 :30 — Assembly. 

4:30 — Recall. 

6:00 — Mess Call. 

6:30 — Stable and Water Call. 

9:20 — Call to Quarters. 

9:30 — Tattoo. 
10:00 — Taps. 



22 History of Troop "A" 

-Looking over this list now, we see that we had 
some things to be thankful for of which we knew 
not then. The hated evening parade was mercifully 
omitted. And yet it seemed that almost every min- 
ute of the day was taken up. 

No sooner was one thing over than the next be- 
gan, and there were many things to be done not ob- 
vious from simply reading the list of calls. Terry 
realized this very early in the game, as was shown by 
this sage remark: "Say — say — I always make it an 
invariable — an invariable rule to keep behind — 
behind the tents, for if you don't a sergeant — a ser- 
geant is sure to come out — and pinch you." 

Five minutes were given in which to wake up and 
dress yourself. Then, if you were not sick (and al- 
most no one was sick at Camp Black, in spite of all 
the cold and wet), came half an hour in which to 
wash, but little good was that with no water to 
wash with. How astonished the inhabitants of that 
little tumble down house a quarter of a mile away 
were the first morning to see their front yard full of 
troopers waiting for the next basin full of water from 
the well, and rich in soap boxes, sponges and tooth 
brushes (Riker's violet water was an afterthought 
of Alger and did not appear at Camp Black). Later, 
through the kindness of Henry Payne Whitney, a 
large watering cart refilled at least twice a day stood 



Camp Black 23 

close behind our tents, and we could each draw a 
pailful for a morning bath. Later still, the last week 
of our stay, the government water pipes reached us, 
and in the mud by the watering trough many baths 
were taken in the few morning hours available; for 
though we rose at half-past five A. M., the female 
sightseer (on bicycle or in 'bus) always happened on 
the horizon at a marvellously early hour. 

As if to discourage all attempts at cleanliness, no 
sooner had one washed than came the "stable call" 
and cleaning horses on that muddy picket line. The 
industrious man who cleaned his horse quickly and 
well (and no horse is well cleaned unless quickly 
cleaned) was invariably rewarded by the sergeant 
by being assigned to clean another horse. In fact, 
it was only the man who made a fine art of shirking 
(and few there were, be it said,) who escaped clean- 
ing two horses, for about half the men each morning 
were exempt because of guard or new guard or 
orderly detail. 

With *'mess call," at seven, there was a prompt 
rush for the right of the line, and ofif we were 
marched in single file, hungry enough to eat any- 
thing. We were on State rations then (much more 
liberal than Uncle Sam's) and Sergeant Pellew on 
that old white charger scoured the country in an 
attempt to get the lowest quotation for milk from 



24 History of Troop "A" 

the shrewd Long Island farmers. We had fresh 
baker's bread instead of hard tack, and, take it all in 
all, good, plain, wholesome food, cooked by Tom 
and Walter. At breakfast we usually confined our- 
selves to> the rations provided, but the other meals 
were largely supplemented by chicken, roast beef 
and pate de fois gras, cake and jam, oranges and 
apples, whiskey, beer and rum, not tO' speak of 
apollinaris, from the hampers inside the tents sent 
down by kind friends and relatives. The Long 
Island Express was almost overworked. 

Soon after mess came the change of guard. The 
evolution of "guard mount" was curious to watch. 
At first it was not called "guard mount," but a mere 
change of guard in an informal manner, and each 
morning there was something different and some 
added trifle of formality until finally it blossomed 
out in its full glory as "guard mount." But at Camp 
Black there was one question for the guard that was 
never settled, and that was overcoats. About 7:30 
an order would be shouted down the street that the 
new guard would wear overcoats, or else that they 
would not, and which ever way it was, it was invari- 
ably reversed at least once before the final note of the 
assembly had sounded. And then the question was. 
How should the capes be fastened back? With so lim- 




POLICE DUTY — CAMP 15LACK 




CAPT. BADGLEY GEN. ROE MAJ. GREER COL. HOLLY 



GENERAL ROE AND OFFICERS AT CAMP BLACK 



Camp Black 25 

ited a wardrobe as he had it was strange indeed how 
worried the poor private could be by its changes. 

8:15 — Police. Camp Black was the day of the 
Easy Boss. The sergeants had not then learned to 
be the slave drivers into which they developed at 
Alger, and the mud on the picket line was so deep 
that little could be done to it in the way of cleaning. 

At this time of day great was the hurrying of or- 
derlies — polishing boots and bridles, and always five 
minutes late in saddling up and reporting to the first 
sergeant. Many were the tales brought back in the 
evening by these same orderlies of private tips from 
Holly and Hurry, and gossip of the camp. The duty 
was new, and at first amusing as well as tiresome. 
Perhaps its chief compensation was the interest and 
excitement always caused by a mounted orderly 
dashing up with formidable looking despatches 
sticking through his belt. The command to the 
colonel of which the orders were addressed always 
imagined the formal looking documents to be an 
order from Washington for an instant advance 
upon Havana or Cadiz. 

Watering horses gave us a long journey twice a 
day. "Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to 
drink," for man or beast, was our early experience in 
the immediate neighborhood of the camp. It was 
a mile or more to one farm where we went to water, 



26 History of Troop "A" 

and almost two miles tO' the other. The horses were 
green, the men were green, and riding one horse 
bareback and leading another (both pulling hard and 
pulling apart), was not always a pleasure. Then, 
when we reached the farm, watering was a slow proc- 
ess. It was at one of these farms that Ernie Thomp- 
son was kicked in the chest by one of our horses that 
stormy night when we took them to the barns for 
shelter. He was taken in and well cared for for 
several days by the farmer's wife. 

Morning drill was usually bareback. The after- 
noon drills were a more formal matter; and good, 
sharp and rattling they were — trotting and gallop- 
ing over that broad plain. 

Early in the afternoon the crowds from New York 
began to arrive, and the inside of a tent, not to speak 
of the haystack, after recall from drill resembled an 
afternoon tea. The fair ones often stayed till six 
o'clock mess and looked with dainty curiosity and 
shghtly shocked surprise at the partial return of man 
to the eating habits of his early ancestors. Some of 
them were even eager to eat from the soldier's tin 
dish and sip coffee from his cup. 

In the evening, snug in the tents, the rain driving 
against the canvas, we sat on boxes and sang songs 
and told tales and smoked and took a drink and were 



Camp Black 27 

merry until taps. And after that we slept and shiv- 
ered in our sleep. 

Meanwhile, the night provost patrol scoured the 
country and the surrounding villages to pick up 
wandering soldiers, and came back after midnight 
and woke up the tents, and next morning told of ad- 
ventures and daring captures. 

There w^ere mounted patrols by day also, who pur- 
sued unlicensed hucksters and preserved the bound- 
aries of the camp. Their doings even got into the 
daily papers, one of which immortalized forever the 
exploit of Private "Antonio" Terry, who, putting 
spurs to his favorite charger ''Tanglefoot," overtook 
and captured a doughboy deserter. 

One afternoon we were invited to attend the horse 
show at the Mineola Fair Grounds, to give an exhi- 
bition drill, which we did in the middle of the ring, 
and felt rather out of place while the "county fam- 
ilies" in the grand stand looked on coldly. We all 
felt better when Bill Cammann went into a race with 
the local talent and carried ofif the prize hands down. 
Those same fair grounds we were to know again, 
when we took the horses there to spend the night in 
the sheds during one of the w^orst of the north- 
easters. It w^as a long walk back to camp through 
the mud. 

Not until we reached Camp Alger w^ere we in 



«Hiii 



28 History of Troop "A" 

close quarters with Troop "C." Between us at Camp 
Black was a great gulf fixed in the shape of a sunken 
road, from each side of which the sentries eyed one 
another with some curiosity, until one afternoon the 
first sergeants of the two troops somehow ran afoul 
of each other, and the result was beer and clay pipes 
that night around the "C" camp fire, until a pelting 
rain sent us scurrying to the tents. Afterward came 
the "A" "at home," with the Squadron band and 
songs and punch and fire. We had a calling ac- 
quaintance then. 

About this time the two troops first marched to- 
gether — the occasion on which we rode to the sta- 
tion to meet and escort Governor Black and after- 
ward took part in the review. The magnificent 
spectacle of a hundred superb cavalrymen drawn up 
troop front at the railway station, awaiting, with 
glittering sabres at the carry, the advent of the 
commander-in-chief of the State forces, filled the 
surrounding crowds with proper awe. The Gov- 
ernor came at last, and the command "Present 
sabres " was executed as by one man. The only 
thing marring the impressive ceremony was that our 
heavy weight champion, Bruce, whose well known 
"Moose" subsequently contracted such a habit of 
straying from the picket as to become proverbial, 
in the excitement of the moment leaned to one side, 



Camp Black 29 

thereby causing his saddle to describe an arc of one 
hundred and eighty degrees. Mr. Bruce, a superb 
horseman, stuck to the saddle, so that with his head 
resting comfortably on the ground he "presented 
feet" to the Governor. Governor Black was not 
exactly a military figure as he sat shivering and un- 
comfortable in a covered 'bus, nor yet when he 
stood, gaunt and angular. But the regiments made 
a brave showing and were proud; and the Governor 
was, after all, only an excuse for the review. 

Take it all in all a trooper's day was a full one and 
all absorbing. It was wonderful how the rest of the 
world faded out of sight. We read the papers in a 
perfunctory way. Even Dewey's victory made little 
real impression on us. Our own particular affairs, 
with which we had been busy up to the moment of 
leaving town, no longer troubled us. The camp had 
troubles of its own. The change was sudden and 
complete. If there is transmigration of souls it is 
not strange that they forget the past. The present 
had fast hold on us and was real. As we look back 
on it now it is as a dream, unreal, so quickly have 
we dropped back into the ways of peace. 

We were not destined to stay long at Camp Black. 

In due course came the physical examination; and 
army regulations as to weight and other require- 
ments for a cavalryman proved themselves exceed- 



30 



History of Troop *'A" 



ingly elastic when applied to the United States vol- 
unteer. 

Immediately there followed the solemn ceremony 
of muster in. Sitting on horseback in mass forma- 
tion, with bared heads and ungloved right hands 
raised, together we took the oath of allegiance^ — sol- 
diers of the United States at last. 

Then came the rush for passes to say a last fare- 
well in town; and on that bright Sunday morning we 
marched away from Camp Black with feelings of joy 
and great expectancy; but as we rode past the little 
hillock where straight on his horse sat our own Gen- 
eral Roe it w^as with feelings of sadness that we 
turned our heads for a last look; and we hoped that 
he would be a Major General of Volunteers, and that 
we should have some place in his command. 




** Boots ans^ S>^DDk£S** 
FIND YOUR HORSE. 




THE PICKET LINE AT CAMP BLACK 




FALLING IN FOR MESS — CAMP 15LACK 



Sentry Duty 

James T. Terry. 

"When all night long a chap remains 
On sentry-go, to chase monotony 
He exercises of his brains; 
That is, providing that he's got any." 

— lolanthe. 
"Guard of the Commissariat, 
Duty performed is sweet. 
Though you may eat what you're guarding, 
Be guarded in what you eat." 

— Soldiers' Manual of Practical Guard Duty. 

/\ 

^ T evening parade the list of 

the guard detail is read by 
the first sergeant. The next 
day at the sound of the 
bugle, calling "guard 
mount," with weapons 
cleaned so well that no one 
but the examining sergeant 
co'uld find a speck on them, 
and our uniforms worn almost to a shred by brush- 
ing, we go to the guard tent to play our part in the 
extremely hazardous performance of keeping would 
be visitors and stray dogs out of camp. 

Falling in line the new guard detail is inspected. 
One's chance of surviving this ordeal is fairly good if 




32 History of Troop "A" 

the scrutinizing officer is in good health, but if he is 
not feeling very well, that grain of dust in the barrel 
of the gun, which you know is a little bubble of oil, 
affords a sufficient excuse for him to send you back 
to your tent; and then some of the stable work, a 
task such as gave Hercules his reputation, is yours. 
If not so sent away in disgrace (?) you are a member 
of the guard, which goes through a great deal of 
what seems to you useless manoeuvring, a few extra 
stunts being added if the weather is sufficiently hot. 

The weary son of Mars now commences to pace 
his monotonous beat, striving to resist that great 
but gentle enemy of the sentinel — insidious sleep — 
occasionally seeking aid in his efforts in this direc- 
tion by an enlivening gossip with the ornament on 
an adjoining post about the utter foolishness of so 
carefully protecting the camp against a ferocious 
enemy only fifteen hundred miles away! Not only 
should a sentry be vigilant and wide awake on his 
beat, but also in the guard tent, the abiding place of 
the guard when not on duty; for, if sleep overcomes 
him then, his very clothes are in peril. If a sergeant 
of the guard would take the spurs from the boots of 
a qomrade resting in the guard tent, whom can one 
trust? 

We have been told that guard duty is the most 
honorable ser\'ice a soldier can render, but this is 



Sentry Duty 33 

hard to realize, especially when one is beset by some 
fair but curious visitor, who inquires why he is 
"strutting- up and down," and the meaning of his 
persistent reticence. "I am on guard," is the 
haughty, soldierly reply. Entirely unabashed, she 
glances at the kicking horses, which no one would 
dare to steal, and through the tents filled with straw 
and old clothes, and contemptuously replies, "How 
silly! Come walk around and show me the camp; 
why, I don't see anything to guard here." 




Camp Alger 



F. Lawrence Lee. 



"Dreaming, dreaming, talking in my sleep." 

— The Serenaders. 
'We're booked to go! We're booked to stay! 
What did Alger and Corbin say? 
I'm in an awfully tough position, 
My family's made me accept a commission. 
Thus ran the story from day to day." 

— The Legend of the Dreamer. 

IRST the Seventy-first had 
left, then one regiment after 
another, until the great white 
city was almost deserted, and 
now it was our turn. 

Saturday morning (May 
2 1 St) came the news, and to 
us active service seemed cer- 
tain within the month. The 
telegraph ofitice was besieged 
by troopers wiring, "Ordered to Falls Church, Va. 
Leave to-morrow." We started to pack up, dis- 
carding vast quantities of useless impedimenta, and 
the following morning all were up bright and early, 
policing the camp. Down went the tents, and a busy 
scene ensued, searching in the straw for missing 




36 History of Troop "A" 

possessions, saddling up, etc. Many a valued article 
of equipment was lost, apparently forever, and a re- 
spected sergeant could be heard orating in no meas- 
ured terms on the den of "Thieves! Thieves!! 
Thieves!!!" in which he found himself. My canteen 
and cup took wings and in sifting the tent straw a 
pair of spurs was found, marked with the number of 
a man who was never known to be without his full 
quota. No questions were asked, however, and he 
who got anything back esteemed himself fortunate. 

Just before it was time to start our old com- 
mander. Major — now Major General — Roe, came 
over to see us, and shaking hands with each wished 
good luck to all. It was an affecting scene. 

"Prepare to Mount! Mount!" the trumpet rings 
out, and we are off, the post band marching ahead, 
playing "The Girl I Left Behind Me," "Auld Lang 
Syne" and other melodies calculated to cheer. 

The doughboys break their guard lines to rush out 
and bid us godspeed; we pass the headquarters and 
are reviewed by the dear old General, whom we cheer 
loudly. Our band stands aside and plays us past. 
Then they march back, and wei march on; cut loose 
from the secure moorings of the past, we are afloat 
on the storm threatening seas of the future. 

A bright May Sunday, clear and warmish, and the 
roads exceedingly dusty. As we ride through the 



Camp Alger 37 

country we are everywhere greeted with enthusiasm. 
Flags wave from every house, and all sorts and con- 
ditions of men, women and children shout a hearty 
"Good luck to you, boys!" as we go by. 

It is a long, hard march, and it is well into the 
afternoon when we reach the outskirts of the city. 
Here we proceed along a parklike avenue, trotting 
most of the time, for it is late, and we have still far 
to go. 

A little way back on the road we had stopped at a 
house and were entertained royally. Tables were 
spread under the trees, and ladies and gentlemen 
dressed in their Sunday best vied with each other in 
dispensing grateful refreshments, alcoholic and 
otherwise, to as tough a looking outfit of travel 
stained troopers as can well be imagined. It seemed 
like an echo from some former existence. 

On we went through the great city, and at each 
point of vantage a howling, cheering crowd had sta- 
tioned themselves. It was exhilarating to the last 
degree, but the steady roar soon got on the nerves 
and made one feel bewildered and dreamy. 

It was almost dusk when we arrived in Jersey City 
and started to march through a mile and a half of 
railroad yards. Almost every engine on the road 
was there, and each engineer let his whistle' sing as 
long as we were in sight. There must have been 



38 History of Troop "A" 

sixty of them, and the noise they made was beyond 
words. It was meant in kindness, however, and we 
appreciated their patriotism. Whether the company 
did or did not, is another matter. 

After leaving a guard over the horses in an old 
baseball field the rest of us were allowed to go to 
New York to our homes for the evening. We flitted 
in, ghostlike, for a few hours, and were gone. I 
remember looking at my bed and wondering when I 
would sleep in one again, if ever. W^e reported for 
duty at half-past four in the morning. In crossing 
the river we fell in with a boatswain's mate from the 
U. S. S. Cincinnati, who was invalided. He was 
blessed with a voice like a siren whistle, and turned 
out to be something of a prophet. 

I asked him concerning the naval operations what 
was going to be done. He said: "Sampson and 
Schley is looking for the Cape Verde squadron 
now, and when they meet Cervera's fleet the Spanish 
navy is a thing of the pa-ast — understand, it's a thing 
of the past." "But," I asked, "won't we lose some 
ships?" Answered that ancient man: "When we 
meet Cervera's fleet the Spanish navy is a thing of 
the pa — ast!" 

We loaded the horses on the train and partook of 
a scanty breakfast, then off we went, each man trying 



Camp Alger 39 

to get a little sleep with his packed saddle on the seat 
beside him for a pillow. 

The station at Baltimore was placarded with signs 
proclaiming "Welcome to the Sixth Massachu- 
setts!" "In 1 861 we stoned you as enemies! In 
1898 we greet you as brother citizens of a reunited 
country!" 

Arriving at the little station of Dunn Loring, a few 
miles beyond Washington, we disembarked and took 
up the march for Camp Alger, some miles away. It 
was quite dark, and one of our wagons got stuck in 
the mud for a time, which seemed to us like an echo 
of the civil war. We were hailed by voices out of the 
darkness here and there saying, "What's this? Cav- 
alry? Where are you from?" To which we would 
answer, "New York!" "Good work!" would come 
the reply; "We're from Indiana!" or whatever the 
State might be. 

Our chance acquaintances told us stories of Span- 
ish spies who had been caught poisoning the wells, 
together with other grewsome tales, which, heard 
when riding through a Virginia wood in the dark- 
ness after two days and a night of great fatigue, 
made one realize that war was no picnic. 

We emerged from the woods and a most interest- 
ing scene burst upon us. By the light of flaring 
gasoline torches, hundreds of soldiers were lounging 



40 History of Troop "A" 

around a long line of sutlers' booths. This was the 
"Midway Plaisance" of the camp and the centre of 
its social life. 

The infantrymen were much interested in the 
cavalry, and greeted us with great warmth, express- 
ing a decided opinion, in fact, that we were "all 
right." 

After some difficulty we found the headquarters 
hill, and established a rough sort of camp there. 
The General had not yet arrived, so that we had 
the hill to ourselves. About eleven o'clock supper 
was cooked, which was very acceptable, particularly 
as regards the cofifee. If a soldier can get coffee, he 
is well off. We were encamped under great chest- 
nut trees, and the picture of the blue uniformed 
troopers thrown into relief by the firelight, and the 
dark line of horses in the background, was one to 
which the reality of the occasion added a depth 
which might otherwise have been absent. 

There was a line of empty tents near by, to which 
we were assigned, two squads to a small tent. Deem- 
ing this too close for comfort, many of the men 
spread their ponchos and blankets in the open air. 
"Foxy" Leigh was thus sleeping the sleep of the just 
when a sentry stepped on his face, the spurred heel 
cutting him up very painfully. 

The following morning the General arrived, and 



I 



Camp Alger 41 

it became our delightful duty to move camp to a 
treeless waste some hundred and fifty yards away. 
After watering the horses at a meagre stream, dis- 
tant one mile and a half, we pitched our tents in a 
weed grown, ploughed field, and each man carried 
his saddle, packs and equipments from the hill to 
our new camp. 

The place was deeply covered with rank, tough 
undergrowth, and the troopers devoted the remain- 
der of the day to clearing the space on which the 
tents actually rested by pulling the weeds out by 
their roots and grazing their horses over the rest of 
of the troop street. Shovels were in demand, and 
failing these, hatchets were used to level the furrows 
where we were to sleep, as well as to cut a ditch sur- 
rounding the wall of the tent. 

Guard duty now became less frequent, owing to 
the combination of the two troops into a squadron. 
It became more rigorous, however, and our prox- 
imity to headquarters made the turning out of the 
guard an every day affair. But as soon as the Gen- 
eral discovered that we knew the etiquette, and were 
at all times ready to carry it out, he took pains to 
avoid passing the guard tent during the daytime. 

This ceremony is interesting to those on the out- 
side, and at once amusing and annoying to those 
within the tent. The off reliefs are lying quietly, 



42 History of Troop **A" 

writing letters, reading and talking. Carbines rest 
against the centre post, belts and blouses often with 
them, by permission. Suddenly the sentry at the 
guard house calls: "Turn out the guard! Major 
General commanding!" Each man drops what he 
is doing and grasps his equipments. All hurry to 
the front of the tent, form line, and as the General 
passes the order is given: "Present arms!" then 
"Order arms! Dismissed!" Frequently the word 
comes from^ the General, "Never mind the guard!" 
"Never mind the guard!" repeats the sentry, and 
the half aroused relief return to their places, damn- 
ing their superior officer most heartily. 

On the day after guard duty comes "police duty," 
"guard fatigue." The old guard is divided into two 
parts, one to act as stable police and the other to 
police the street and camp generally. They are re- 
quired to do no other duty during the day, and as 
there are only twenty-four working hours it is for- 
tunate that they are not. 

The stable police begin their day at morning 
stables while the horses are at water. With rake and 
fork they shake over the bedding and pile it in neat 
little heaps at the rear of the line. Then they rake 
and brush the entire length of the picket line, under 
the bright morning sun, until the whole extent of 
more than a hundred vards looks like a new dirt 




IM 



Camp Alger 43 

tennis court. Immediately afterward the sun is too 

hot for the horses, so they must be led to the woods 

near by. "Stable police!" roars the sergeant, and off 

we go, with five horses tied together, leading them 

along, and tO' add zest to the amusement jumping 

^hem over a four foot ditch which must be passed. 

This operation is a delicate one, and as three jump 

'd two balk alternately, you are somewhat at a 

s what to do about it. You jolly them and swear 

hem, and then just as the jumpers decide to go 

to the balkers the latter essay to join the 

er, and a general mix up ensues which is to the 

jgree interesting. Finally the whole line, with 

. aesperate resolve showing forth all over them, leap 

directly at you, and by the time you are through 

ng why you were not killed the horses are 

.icu L.p, and you go back to repeat the performance. 

Then at eleven o'clock we hay down. Some new 

forage comes in, and both street and stable police 

unload it. If the stable sergeant is a late creation or 

overzealous, we clean out the picket line once again. 

Then we fill the nosebags for evening stables, and 

while the horses are at water we bed down. Then 

you are just in time to be late for evening parade, 

and are told that your way of amusing yourself under 

pretence of working is played out, and that it will no 

longer be tolerated. The first sergeant declares that 



44 History of Troop "A" 

you are "delinquent," and shall be "severely dealt 
with," and when you are finally dismissed you are 
quite ready for "taps" to put an end to this "happy 
busy day." 

When fatigue call sounds in the morning the 
street police get a wheelbarrow, fight with the stable 
police and quartermaster sergeant over rakes, &c., 
form a skirmish line and march through the camp, 
picking up, usually with their hands, all old cigarette 
butts, orange peels, peach pits, rotten cores of 
apples, and so on ad nauseam. Each tent places a 
box filled W'ith its waste articles in front of the door 
as the police approach, and one of the detail makes 
a round of the tent to see that nothing remains to be 
policed between the ropes and pegs. 

Then the street is raked and swept clean, and by 
the time that is finished a wagonful of heavy express 
packages or ammunition or whatever has arrived 
from the station has to be unloaded. Any odd job 
which arises in the course of the day is put in their 
hands, and any time that the stable police require 
assistance, "Street police, turn out!" is the cry. 

When on the march the street police put up the 
officers' tent, take it down, ditch it, and generally 
make themselves useful. Loading and unloading 
wagons, turning their hands to anything whatever, 
each street policeman feels that he has the hardest 



Camp Alger 4^ 

of jobs until he is put on the stable police, and each 
stable policeman is convinced that he is doing the 
entire work of the camp until he is put on the street 
police. 

On Sunday morning, May 20th, we underwent our 
first inspection, and the same is an invention of the 
devil. All your belongings are spread out on your 
poncho in front of the tent, and the captain takes 
note of them and comments upon their condition, 
yours, and anything else which happens to be on his 
mind at the time. 

Before he comes the first sergeant has selected 
some outlandish and absurd arrangement for your 
kit, as the one to be followed. And when with in- 
finite pains you have changed yours to conform, to 
the immolation of all true art, he promulgates a new 
model just as the captain starts down the line. "Why 
was I born a slave?" remarked Terry on such an 
occasion. 

It is hot as tophet, but when all is over most of 
the troop are able to obtain passes to Washington, 
and all is forgotten. Dressed in our best uniform we 
present ourselves to the first sergeant. He looks us 
over and says that we will do, so ofif we go, after 
having our passes countersigned. We hail an an- 
cient wagon and step aboard. It once was a surrey 
and is drawn by the remains of a horse. Just over 



46 History of Troop "A" 

the hill we are halted by a provost guard, show our 
passes and are advanced. Rather a pretty drive over 
steep hills, from one of which Washington may be 
seen, and the hack draws up in the little village of 
Falls Church before another provost guard. All be- 
ing well we reach the trolley car terminus and pay 
our driver a quarter. The pandemonium here is 
something frightful. Tickets are purchased in the 
store across the track, while lemonade, soda water 
and candy venders combine with colored bootblack 
and clothes brush boys, not to mention the hack- 
men, to raise a rumpus which is absolutely unfor- 
gettable. 

We leap on a trolley car, and it starts for the city. 
Filled with officers and enHsted men, it bumps on its 
way to the Aqueduct Bridge. Arriving, we cross 
the river and are in Washington. The city pre- 
sents the appearance of a foreign capital. At every 
turn are soldiers in uniform. They overrun the 
Capitol, swarm in all the public buildings and fill the 
saloons. 

If yoiu- friends ask you to lunch they offer you the 
use of a bathtub. This is highly appreciated, for 
water is scarce in Camp Alger, and the fact is well 
known in Washington — unofficially. 

After obtaining a square meal and smoking a cigar 
or two the shades of evening begin to fall and the 



Camp Alger 47 

army starts to move across the Potomac. Horse and 
foot for Camp Alger and artillery for Fort Myer. 
The trolley cars are crowded to overflowing, and the 
Falls Church station at night surpasses itself for 
noise and confusion. 

All sorts of conveyances are filled with soldiers, 
who quiet down while their passes are vised by the 
provost. Mounted officers, hospital orderlies and 
ambulances pass us and disappear in the darkness. 
Then the inner line of provost guards halts us, and a 
pretty picture they make under the trees with the 
lantern shining on their rifles and belt plates. Then 
being admitted to our own camp we report off pass 
to our first sergeant, and the day is done. 

Saturday of our first week at Camp Alger a grand 
review is held by the President. The cavalry are to 
act as his escort, so we deck ourselves out in our best 
and march to the station over the dustiest road in the 
United States. While we are waiting we brush up 
as well as we can; then the train comes in and the 
President steps out, attended by a number of staff 
ofificers and civil dignitaries with their wives. 

They get into carriages, and the troops move out 
ahead of them. In short order, however, we are 
stop^ ed, as the dust, which prevents our seeing the 
horses next in front of us as we trot along, is rolling 
back in vast clouds on the Presidential party, to 



48 History of Troop *'A" 

which they naturally object. We then draw off to 
the side of the road, and the carriages take the lead. 

Then all trot out, unable to see or breathe any- 
thing but dust, varying the performance by those 
absolutely short stops w'hich seem inseparable from 
escort work, when all hands go up, signifying 
"Halt!" and your horse plants his feet, and you pull 
him up by intuition. 

Up hill and down dale, through the woods and 
out again, then to the right into the great parade 
ground over a narrow bridge, which we are warned 
to look out for by voices beyond the clouds. Over 
the springy grass we trot (there was a little left there 
at that early date), and up to a high open stand, 
where the President takes his post, while we trot to 
the rear and rest. 

Fifteen thousand troops in brigade formation 
break from the right and march past; a glorious 
sight to see. 

After the review we escorted the President all 
over the camp, the infantry cheering him very 
heartily. He thoughtfully dismissed us when we 
reached our own camp, and we retired to free our- 
selves of some forty-seven acres of Virginia soil 
finely powdered. 

It is but fitting, at this point, that I should do 
justice to the genius in an Ohio band who set "O 



Camp Alger 49 

Promise Me" to march, or rather jig, time with 
which to regale the President and rouse the martial 
ardor of the rude soldiery. His punishment is not 
provided for by the Military Code, probably because 
such a contingency was beyond the limit of human 
foresight. This was perhaps preferable, however, to 
the endless dead marches which the bands used to 
practise daily. 

Shortly after the review our captain, Howard G. 
Badgley, a thorough officer and gentleman, was 
taken ill with typhoid fever. We saw the ambulance 
take him off to the hospital with sorrow and anxiety 
in our hearts, and long months passed before he re- 
turned to us. This was the first appearance of the 
ambulance, which afterward became an unfortu- 
nately frequent visitor, although Troop "A" had 
fewer sick men than did many other commands, 
Cox and Bruce, Connor and Manning successively 
contracting this scourge of the camps. 

A change of commissaries took place about this 
time, and the genial Sergeant Pellew was succeeded 
by that veteran smooth talker and ''rough rider," 
good old "Jim" Price, the "regular." 

The washing of mess kits had frozen the genial 
current of "Jim's" soul to the same extent that the 
beating of the Virginia sun on the ground floor of 
our natural mess hall had warmed his fertile brain, 



5© History of Troop **A" 

so he took up a collection to buy a mess tent and 
outfit which could be used at all times except when 
actually in the field. 

Aided by a system of equalized taxation, we were 
thenceforth enabled to eat in the shade and to enjoy 
the best which the government provided, aug- 
mented by the judicious disbursements of "J^"^" 
from the troop's mess fund. These were palmy days, 
and Price's satellites, "Peekskill," "Fishkill" and 
"Cobbleskill," were at all times ready to assist, un- 
less their services were required for some private din- 
ner party from Washington. 

The mess tent w^as a great institution, and was 
useful in a variety of ways, including religious ser- 
vices, meetings and entertainments. When General 
Roe was appointed brigadier we had a punch, by per- 
mission, at which Ogilvie, of Troop "C," sang "Sue, 
Dear," to bring tears to your eyes, and Sergeant 
Cammann rendered "The Irish Maid" with enor- 
mous success. An attempt was made to get Charlie 
Sharp, our colored mule driver, to sing, but after an 
unsuccessful essay at a song, which told something 
about "jingle bells," Sharp fell flat through shyness. 

He was a most extraordinary negro, and was very 
amusing to talk to. He had driven a wagon in the 
civil war, prior to which time he had been a slave. 
He was a great dog fancier, and had a fine collection 



i 



Camp Alger 5I 

back of the wagon park. If any one driving to Dunn 
Loring with him espied a good looking dog and 
called attention to him, 'Tut him in the wagon" was 
CharHe's word. One of us remonstrated with him 
on the grounds of honesty. "I don't never steal no 
dog," said Charlie indignantly, "but if a dog wants 
to follow me I ain't required to be cruel to him and 
beat him back." 

We now settled down to a regular routine of duty, 
drilHng morning and afternoon, doing guard, poHc- 
ing camp, acting as headquarters or telegraph order- 
Hes or as mounted provost, with evening parade to 
top off with. 

The morning drill consisted of a skirmish through 
the woods, mounted or fighting on foot, according 
to the necessities of the occasion. There was one 
hill in particular, covered wdth woods and very steep, 
just back of headquarters, and this wc were in the 
habit of attacking daily. Riding down hill among 
trees, with carbine advanced, furnishes good cause 
for vigilance, to say the least. 

Then would come the order to fight on foot. A 
skirmish line would form, tearing their way through 
brambles and underbrush, scrambling over a small 
canal, advancing by rushes over a ploughed field, and 
ending up by taking the opposite woods in a desper- 
ate charge. 



52 History of Troop "A" 

Then -To horse!" would sound, and the mounted 

-nwouM tow the led horses up to the troop, and 
th troop would start for tl,eir horses, and in hort 

order we were up and away. 

It was wonderful to see in how many different 
ways four horses could surround a tree, and no less 
surpnsmg to note how quickly they were straight- 
ened out. It will live in the memory of all th^t a 
ploughed field can find more places to deposit itself 
m a carbine than any human being would believe 

In the afternoon the Squadron, composed of 
Troops -A" and "C," under command of Captain 
Clayton, of "C," would drill. This was usually in 
squadron forn,ation, but on several occasions we 
had glonous mo.mted skirmish drills, with charges 
ra<Ihes and so on, in a field loaned to us bv an old 
Confederate ofiicer who had served with Stuart 

A ' troop was to make a grand attack on Falls 
Church. The second lieutenant was to command 
and It was to be the real thing and no mistake. TheJ 

started out with the "poi„t,""support" and all the 
rest of n thrown out; everything complete, but no 
blank cartridges, so that the villagers might no. sup- 
pose that the civil war had recommenced. 

The old guard, who had just finished their tour 
of duty under Sergeant Phelps, obtaining permission 
to take the,r horses and go swimming, several miles 



Camp Alger 5^ 

away. The curious might have wondered why they 
needed so many blank cartridges, but they did their 
work secretly, and nobody noticed. Shortly after 
the troop started, out marched Phelps and his merry 
men. 

By a rapid flanking movement they succeeded in 
reaching Falls Church before the troop did, and 
they proceeded to conceal themselves in a barnyard. 

Some minutes later the advance guard were 
amazed to find themselves surrounded by a party of 
apparent comrades, who esteemed it their duty as 
well as pleasure to inform the "advance" that they 
were prisoners and lead them gently into the seclu- 
sion of their pastoral fastness. 

Hearing some trouble ahead the "support" came 
around the corner, and were gobbled up by a spirited 
sabre charge, which they were at a loss to under- 
stand. And the main body, who were very few in 
number, became involved in an exceedingly lively 
engagement, in which blank cartridges were freely 
used by the guerillas and the troop could only use 
clubbed carbines or sabres, not to mention Billings- 
gate. 

The second lieutenant was the most disgusted 
man in Virginia, and, although a prisoner he 
promptly placed Sergeant "Mosby" Phelps under 



54 History of Troop "A" 

arrest, remarking, with some felicity, that "Phelps 
had spoiled the drill." 

Permission had been obtained for this demonstra- 
tion, however, from the commanding officer, so that 
even if the lieutenant had been disposed to make any 
trouble about it, which he was not, the distinguished 
successor to "Mosby," the guerilla, was safe. 

This incident had the effect of teaching our men 
to be vigilant at all times and at all places, and also 
impressed upon them the fact that all are not friends 
who seem friends. 

Water now became scarce and typhoid fever 
plentiful. Furthermore, a plague of flies settled 
over the camp. Every well in the neighborhood 
had sentries posted near by to see that the water 
was well husbanded. Our horses had to be taken 
to a stream nearly two miles away twice a day. 

A well was sunk near our camp which was good 
enough for horses and bathing for a while, although 
always yellow from the clay soil. Even this became 
too bad to be used, and our beautiful evergreen bath- 
house near by, with its board floor, went out of our 
lives, except as a golden memory. A box had been 
placed for bathing in what remained of a neighbor- 
ing stream, but this was never an attractive arrange- 
ment, and soon fell into well merited disuse. 

The different wells near us took to giving out at 



Camp Alger 55 

unexpected moments, and the latter half of the troop 
who had been soothing their restless horses for half 
an hour in the sun would have to seek fresh pumps 
and waters new. 

In the midst of this Sahara, where doughboys and 
others were sufifering for drinking water and being 
made ill by lack of chances to^ wash, a board of in- 
spection came out from Washington, drove through 
the kilnlike camp and gave a report that ''the water 
supply was ample and of excellent quality." May 
they be supplied with either brains or consciences, 
for one or the other was noticeably absent from 
their makeup. 

The long line of ambulances winding over the 
hills each evening was the best evidence as to the 
conditions which prevailed, and at that, it was only 
the very ill who were carried into the post hospital 
at Fort Myer. 

The squads of the troops were assigned to conical 
wall tents, and numbered from nine to eleven mem- 
bers each. There was Hoyt's, afterward Leigh's, 
Tent 3, noted for its success in getting tO' Washing- 
ton; Tent 4, the Kindergarten, where Corporal 
Haight gave sound advice on the beauty of work 
performed. Some think this referred to some 
achievement of Sidney's in the days "before the 
war," but more likely it was intended to cheer on his 



56 History of Troop "A" 

squad to renewed efforts. Ruland succeeded to the 
command of Tent 4, and the rights of men were dis- 
cussed less fervently therein than formerly. Valen- 
tine jollied everybody, and the world went merrily 
enough. 

The crowning gem and glory of the troop, how- 
ever, was Erving's famous Tent 5, noted for its par- 
liamentary discussions and language, and its high 
average of soldierly ability. Indeed not a doubt 
existed (within) as to the competency of any of us to 
fill any position from captain up. This is about the 
only tent which furnished no officers to the volun- 
teer army, which fact is largely responsible for the 
great dissatisfaction arising from the conduct of the 
war. 

Tent 6 said what was necessary and sawed wood, 
varying the performance by stealing delicacies for 
their horses. They were chiefly noted for being the 
proud possessors of our beloved and lamented mas- 
cot, "Rosie O'Grady." 

Lack of space prevents a detailed account of each 
tent. All are worthy of notice, and each contained 
a good lot of fellows. James Terry's happy home was 
in Tent to, and there discoursed the oracle. 
Occasionally he paid parochial visits to other tents 
to gladden the hearts of the listening troopers. 
Always behind the tents. "If you go in front some 



Camp Alger ^y 

sergeant will see you and give you some work," said 
he. Indeed, the sergeant's tent, next to the officers', 
was a good place to avoid. "Out of sight out of 
mind" is a good proverb, and it is always best to let 
sleeping dogs lie. 

The names of the horses went with the tents, and 
had considerable character, as a few may show: the 
Moose, the Cow, the Crusader, named after a yacht 
on which the trooper had arranged to spend the sum- 
mer; Cubeb, on account of his unsavory character; 
all these from Tent 7, noted for its commissions 
and workers; Riker's Expectorant, famous among 
horses; the Sainted Lobster, and a host of others. 

We were now introduced to a new feature of army 
life — namely, the practice march, and our first ex- 
perience came near being the last for some of us. 

Our route was from Falls Church to the Maryland 
side of the Chain Bridge, across the Potomac, to give 
the men a swim, each brigade being sent in turn. 
Advance guard out and flankers scouring the neigh- 
boring fields, we marched on, and finally halted for 
a rest on a steep hill, at the bottom of which was a 
bridge. A turn in the road cut off the view to the 
rear, and the road was bounded by a precipice above 
and one below. The ledge was just wide enough to 
give good room for two wagons to pass, but not 
much to spare. 



58 History of Troop "A" 

Suddenly we heard a roaring of wheels around the 
bend. The noise grew louder, and the word was 
passed along that the mules were running away. 

Each trooper took his horse as far to one side of 
the road as he could go, climbing the steep bank for 
a few feet and making the horse continue the climb- 
ing motion. 

Around the bend came the mules, and for about a 
quai ter of a mile we could see them galloping madly 
straight at us. It did not look as if there would be 
room enough for us all, but there was no way of in- 
creasing it, so we waited. Ahead rode Sergeants 
Bowne, of "A," and Debevoise, of "C," at top speed, 
warning the men. 

The colored driver guided his team through the 
narrow lane left for them with consummate skill, and 
as they came by me I could see Walter, our black 
cook, an old navy man, hanging on to the leaders' 
reins with all his heart, soul and weight. The mules 
gradually yielded to this combination and were 
stopped about one hundred yards further on. 

Too much credit cannot be given tO' Sam, the 
driver, and Walter Johnson, the cook, for their 
skilful and heady work in averting what might 
otherwise have been a serious disaster. 

We halted on the Maryland side of the Potomac, 
near the bridge, and while dinner was being prepared 



i 



Camp Alger 59 

the men had a welcome chance for a bath. Some 
went swimming in a canal which flows along that 
side of the dry river bed, and others lay right down 
in a little brook which empties a clear and rapid cur- 
rent into the sluggish waters of the canal. 

It was a highly appreciated opportunity, and was 
doubly grateful in view of our heated and dusty con- 
dition. 

Starting for home early in the afternoon we 
arrived there in the cool of the evening without fur- 
ther adventure. 

The monotony of our camp life was somewhat 
varied by headquarters or telegraph orderly duty. 
Not that they were popular forms of diversion, but 
they furnished change of scene, and were valuable 
additions to our military experience. 

You were slated as headquarters orderly on the 
first sergeant's bulletin board, and at half-past seven 
o'clock you reported to that dignitary with buttons 
polished and all your outfit blacked, brushed or bur- 
nished, as the case might be. Armed only with a 
saber, the sergeant of the guard takes note that your 
horse is off the picket line for the day, and you ride 
forth firmly convinced that you make rather a smart 
appearance, and that your diligence and intelligence 
will deeply impress the General with the great mili- 
tary importance of your distinguished troop. 



6o History of Troop "A" 

Standing at attention before the Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's tent you salute and make your statement that 
"Private Blank reports for duty as mounted orderly, 
sir," and then are relegated to innocuous desuetude 
on a bench just around the corner. 

Here you sit, listening to accounts of what a first 
class fool the foot orderly's captain is, or what a fine 
man; what sort of food is the usual thing with his 
regiment, and how much better it might be, and 
then leap madly up and seize and hold the horse of 
some mounted grandee, while he converses with the 
Colonel within. 

"Mounted orderly!" shouts the Adjutant-General. 
You salute, receive your instructions, mount, and 
away. Trotting through the camp or being admon- 
ished to walk by sentries, on account of the dust; 
taken for an ofificer here and there, by reason of your 
clanking sabre; hunting out colonels and getting 
the outside of the envelope signed, to show that the 
message has been received by the proper person, 
your day and often a good part of your night passes 
in rides about the camp, hot sometimes, dusty at all 
times, but invariably interesting. 

I remember on one occasion riding the entire 
length of the camp, passing over twenty regiments 
at evening parade, bands playing and field and staff 
mounted. It was a sight I shall never forget. 




o Cd 

• < 



Camp Alger 6i 

When the troops were being moved out to New- 
port News en route to Santiago, the orderUes needed 
two horses a day with a vengeance. Two brigades, 
Duffield's and Garretson's, were the chosen, and we 
saw them march out with drums beating, each man 
with his white shelter tent enclosing his blanket roll 
over his shoulder. Bent on no mere practice march, 
but departing to put their months of training to a 
practical test. 

They filed endlessly out through the woods tow- 
ard the station, the morning sun throwing a beauti- 
ful light on the picture. Their less fortunate com- 
rades cheered them and looked wistfully after them. 
The sound of their drums died away in the distance, 
and that evening, and thenceforward, their parade 
grounds were vacant and their regimental marches 
were conspicuously absent from the daily medley of 
martial music. 

It was disappointing to be left, but there was an 
element of humor in this as in most things. As you 
rode through the camp with despatches the men of 
each regiment would come out and tell you "on the 
quiet" that they heard on high authority that the 
War Department was crazy to take their particular 
command to Santiago, but that the Colonel had a 
political pull and didn't want to go. This super- 
stition spread through some ten thousand troops. 



62 History of Troop "A" 

The characteristics of different parts of the coun- 
try could well be seen by a mounted orderly. I rode 
into a Tennessee camp one day, and while the Senior 
Major was receipting my despatch he made an 
attempt to sell me a horse. 

An ignorant backwoods Missourian was foot 
orderly on another occasion, when the Assistant 
Adjutant General, a volunteer, noticed a lizard on 
his tent. "Look at the lizard!" said he to a brother 
officer. "'Excuse me, sir, that ain't no lizard; that's 
a scorpion. You can tell by the stripe on his back; 
my .sergeant told me so; he'll kill you if he bites you, 
sir." This from the Missourian. "Is that so?" yelled 
the captain; "why, he's gone under my tent; we must 
find him. When I left, orderly and captain were still 
rooting around shouting "Scat!" "Get out!" "Go 
on!""Hey!"&c. 

The duties of a telegraph orderly consisted in act- 
ing as a mounted messenger boy, delivering tele- 
grams and having them signed for in the regular 
yellow book of peaceful telegraphy. He collected 
where necessary and occasionally received a tip, but 
in other respects his day was a monotonous repeti- 
tion of a day at headquarters. 

After some preparation and minute instructions 
as to the best method of arranging the pack, we 
started forth on our second practice march. 



Camp Alger 63 

Some of our men had accompanied Troop "C" to 
Bull Run, a short time before, and on their return 
Troop "A" and the "C" troopers who had remained 
at home, took up the march through the borders of 
Maryland. 

The weather was magnificent, and General M. C. 
Butler accompanied us to watch us attack a bat- 
talion of infantry who were escorting the wagon 
train of their brigade. 

After taking the usual precautions, we espied 
the doughboys proceeding along a road which ran 
transversely to another one on a steep grade. 

A spirited charge was made by the cavalry, and 
who won I have never discovered, but as General 
Butler remarked, "At any rate we captured the am- 
bulance." 

This put an end to all peace for the infantry, and 
thenceforth they were in momentary expectation of 
attack and technical annihilation. They stood their 
ground well, however, and their bayonets made us 
tremble at times for our horses' welfare. 

We encamped that night at the Chain Bridge, 
Maryland side, where we had encamped before. The 
infantry were just above us, and each party sus- 
pected the other of nocturnal designs. We threw 
out a mounted cossack post, and the tramping of 
the horses' feet alarmed the sentries of the infantrv, 



64 History of* Troop "A" 

the long roll beat three times during the night, and 
each time their vigilance was unavailing, for the 
troopers slept without turning over. Some of our 
patrol were captured, however, in the course of the 
evening. The infantry marched by us in the morn- 
ing and guyed us considerably while we cleaned our 
horses, expressing their belief that we knew better 
than to come up and tackle them; that they had it 
in for us, &c. Their tin cups and other accoutre- 
ments tinkled like cow bells, and we had no hesita- 
tion in calling their attention to the fact that they 
sounded like a herd of cattle. 

After a beautiful morning ride along the banks of 
the canal, up a steep side hill, crossing deep gorges 
over fine bridges we arrived by a dusty but excellent 
road at the Great Falls of the Potomac. 

A good hotel is situated in the government reser- 
vation at this point, and we encamped near by in a 
field of deep grass, which sloped down to a fence 
bordering the towpath of our old friend, the canal. 

A contract meal was provided by the hotel at fifty 
cents a head, and those who wished to were per- 
mitted to go over and get it. Nearly every one ex- 
cept the guard did so, and the guard w^ere given a 
chance later. 

The hotel was eaten out of house and home, and 
some few drinks were sold on the side. 



Camp Alger 65 

It being then late in the afternoon it was decided 
to swim the horses in the canal. Impromptu bathing 
suits w^ere rigged up and each man took his horse, 
put on the water bridle, and mounting rode in his 
turn into the canal until the horse was out of his 
depth and forced to swim. It was a picturesque 
affair, with the plunging horses, the old fashioned 
canal, and the tents on the green meadow under the 
great trees. 

It came up unconscionably cold in the night, and 
this being, with the night before, our first experience 
of shelter tents, we suffered considerably. The little 
"dog tents" were not uncomfortable, however, and 
as soon as you got the hang of sleeping in them you 
grew to like them very well. 

Making a fairly early start in the morning, we re- 
traced our steps to the Chain Bridge, which we 
reached at noon, and after a short halt we took up 
the march for Camp Alger and arrived there without 
further adventure. 

A mounted provost guard, sometimes called the 
"Parkhurst Patrol," was now instituted by General 
Graham to preserve order within the limits of the 
camp. It started out in the afternoon and rode 
solemnly along the roads and through the camp gen- 
erally, then after supper it patrolled the roads until 



66 History of Troop "A" 

late at night in sets of twos, taking posts of about 
half a mile each. 

As one of the patrol sat his horse in the crowded 
street near the Falls Church trolley station, he felt 
to some degree that ineffable pomp of position which 
gives the unfathomable air of awe aspiring authority 
to the New York mounted policeman. 

"Slower, there! Slower!" he would sternly roar, as 
some wagon passed at a pace which he considered 
unsuitable. "Pull up, there! Look out, now!" The 
mounted provost guard was no subject for jests. He 
carried weight, and he knew it. Oh, glorious days 
of the golden past, never, never again! 

On the night of the second of July, Saturday, the 
Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Sixth Pennsyl- 
vania announced that there would be no duty but 
guard duty until Monday night at tattoo. 

Shortly after "taps" that Saturday evening an or- 
derly galloped up reporting trouble at Falls Church, 
and asking for reinforcements for the provost guard. 
While these were preparing another dashed in and 
called for the two troops. It was a beautiful moon- 
light night, but as we had just moved our tents 
everything was in a jumble. In spite of this, how- 
ever, we were mounted, supplied with ball cartridge, 
and moving out within eight minutes from the time 
"boots and saddles" sounded. This call followed the 



Camp Alger 67 

"call to arms," or as some authorities claim, the 
"fire call," but when the troop heard a good loud 
trumpet call at night it turned out for luck anyway, 
without stopping to write any musical critiques. 

We galloped over the main road to Falls Church, 
a cloud of dust enveloping all but the first two sets 
of fours. 

The twO' troops must have made an impressive 
appearance, as the leaders, followed by the moving 
cloud, thundered down the steep hills with their 
weapons clashing, and the drawn sabres gleaming in 
the moonlight at intervals through the dust. 

The reports of the battles of San Juan and El Ca- 
ney had just arrived and filled our souls with envy, 
and we longed for a chance. We were not called 
upon, however, for Falls Church was quiet as the 
grave, and the road down which I was sent as a 
flanker showed no signs of life whatever. 

At the trolley station we met some of the provost, 
and they explained that the Sixth Pennsylvania were 
running the foot guard by companies and battalions. 
We then commenced a wild chase, scouring the sur- 
rounding country on every side in the direction of 
Washington. It was a rough ride, and every little 
way some one would come a cropper in a ditch or 
hole, but we were wonderfully fortunate, and no one 
was the worse for it. 



68 History of Troop "A" 

We kept halting infantrymen ^Yho were attempt- 
ing to hide and others who were walking boldly 
along the road. The poor chaps were intending to 
spend Fourth of July at home, and considered that 
they had their Colonel's tacit permission to do so. 

A trooper or two would be sent back with each 
of these hauls, and in one case Jack Grannis had 
charge of thirty infantrymen. Never at a loss, he 
formed them in line under a sergeant who was 
among the prisoners, made them call off, count fours 
and then marched them ahead of him some three 
miles or more, in first class form. 

In scouring all over the countryside Corporal 
Cromwell went through a field full of haycocks. 
Just for practice he cut at one of them with his 
sabre, when a voice of horror exclaimed from within: 
"Don't do that again; I'll come out." With that 
the field seemed alive with bluecoats, and twelve or 
fifteen doughboys surrendered at discretion. 

Detaching guards for the prisoners as we went, 
the few^ that were left arrived at the Aqueduct 
Bridge after the hardest kind of riding. It was a 
very warm night, and horses and men were dusty 
and blown. Resting here a short while, we picked 
up some prisoners and took them along with us. 
One of these was an artilleryman from Fort Myer, 
Imt his cruard said that made no difference, so he 



Camp Alger 69 

was given a pleasant night's walk to Camp Alger, at 
which place we arrived at four o'clock in the morn- 
ing. 

The whole affair was good practice for all con- 
cerned, including the regulars, but it gave rise to 
so^me ill-feeling on the part oi the Sixth, and our 
habit of charging the infantry on their practice 
marches was hardly calculated to clear up the at- 
mosphere. 

Fourth of July was made glad by the news from 
Santiago that the Spanish navy was literally a 
"thing of the past." The day was celebrated by 
baseball games in the camp, and many passes to 
Washington were given out. The General, being 
scandalized by the proceedings of Saturday night, 
held a large proportion of the cavalry in camp to 
"enforce discipline," as he said. How proud and 
glad we were. It is sweet to be sacrificed for your 
country's good. 

The reserves spent a profitable day on the neigh- 
boring Midway Plaisance, celebrating with sarsapa- 
rilla and ice cream, and ending off with a visit to the 
theatre. This institution was run at popular prices 
and soldierly hours. It was patriotic to the last 
degree. The audience was in uniform to a man, and 
warlike celebrities bedecked the screen of the com- 
pany's stereopticon. 



70 History of Troop "A" 

Some popular hero would be shown, and the house 
would vociferously cheer him. The next perhaps 
would be persona non grata, and "take him away" 
would be the cry. "Oh! Come, boys!" the manager 
would say, "he's all right; what's de matter wit 
him?" "Give him a hand!" "No! no! He won't do!" 
would chorus the rude soldiery, and his picture 
would be "turned toward the wall." 

Then a young lady w^ould sing, "De Maine Shall 
Be Avenged!" or "Give Tree Cheers for the Yankee 
Volunteers !" waving an American flag the while, and 
the wildest enthusiasm would prevail. Just then 
would come an uproar from without, and the guard 
would descend on the deadheads who were crawling 
into the tent. 

The men were fine specimens for the most part, 
well set up and good fellows to have to do with. 
The doughboys clustered around the telegraph or- 
derly, and made bets that his sabre was as heavy as 
their rifles; they were deeply interested in the saddle 
and general equipment. They told you stories about 
their own horses on the farm at home, and old tales 
concerning "fawther's" experiences in the Civil War, 
his sage advice to his son on the duties of the sol- 
dier, and sound, shrewd comments on every subject. 

Redington was riding by the camp of a regiment 
recruited near his home. The men were playing 



Camp Alger 71 

ball, and the ball rolled near him. He picked it up 
at the low reach and returned it to its admiring 
owner, tOi the intense delight of all beholders. He 
then dismounted and conversed with the infantry. 
Just then the horse stamped with all his weight on 
the unfortunate's foot, and stood there. 

Without moving a muscle, the centaur continued 
his conversation, then carelessly removing his 
charger, mounted, and as he was leaving a dough- 
boy asked: "Didn't that almost kill you?" "Pshaw!" 
was the answer, "that wasn't anything. You ought 
to see the way we get stepped on sometimes." So 
saying, he retired and nursed his foot for three days 
in the hospital. But as he observed later, "You 
ought to have seen the doughboys' eyes pop out." 

Rumors were rife; in popular parlance, "pipe 
dreams." Not a man returned from Washington 
without bringing in some thoroughly reliable in- 
formation emanating from a high source, and con- 
clusively demonstrating the fact that without our 
assistance all further moves by the land forces were 
hopelessly checkmated. 

The "blood and fire" men were counterpoised by 
a strong opposition whose friends in the Senate and 
Cabinet, or even the White House, were accustomed 
to give them the absolutely "straight tip" that hos- 
tilities would not last out the week. There was also 



72 History of Troop **A" 

a considerable and pessimistic mugwump element 
who were convinced that while we would see no ser- 
vice, we would be retained for garrison duty during 
our full two years. 

The lightest whisper or the most cheerful lie would 
start a rumor which would return after many days, 
enlarged, strengthened and beautified so gorgeously 
that the author himself would not recognize it, and 
would regard it as a full confirmation of his own 
ideas. 

A persistent "pipe dream" held that the City, 
Sheridan and Governor's troops, of Pennsylvania, 
were to join us at Alger, and that all would then pro- 
ceed tO' Porto RicO' together. 

The Alger troops scaled the heights of joyful ex- 
pectation, and dashed themselves on the rocks of 
black despair at least four times a day. Their usual 
state of mind can only be understood by those who 
have gone through it. The '"armistice association" 
was sHghtly in the lead, for hope deferred had made 
many hearts sick. The purchase by Troop "A's" 
friends of two Colt's guns helped out the war party 
temporarily, but was neutralized by the belief that 
they were only intended to amuse us. 

One morning, however, we were surprised and de- 
lighted to espy a cloud of dust over the woods. Re- 
fusing at first tO' believe our eyes, even the doubters 



Camp Alger 73 

vv'ere forced to admit, that the Pennsylvanians were 
in sight at last. 

The following Sunday was spent in an interchange 
of visits, and the entente cordiale was pleasantly es- 
tablished. 

The newcomers now had their share of orderly 
and provost work, and the New York troops set 
forth on a ten day practice march. 

Making an early start, we stopped for lunch and 
watered horses in a low lying valley, with a flat, 
swampy river bottom. Our meal consisted of the 
bacon sandwich which each man carried, and a drink 
of water. This was the lunch for each succeeding 
day of this march, and did much to prepare us for 
the actual work which was soon to come. 

After an uneventful ride through rather uninter- 
esting country, we encamped for the night in a 
pretty bit of woodland near the river banks. Both 
troops keenly enjoyed the glorious cold bath that 
the stream afforded, and as usual lost their soap in 
the swift flowing waters. 

Our second day's march carried us through Lees- 
burg, a typical, sleepy old Virginia town. Ameri- 
can flags waved from every side, and the kindly 
greetings of the people proved, if proof were needed, 
that the past was forgotten and that blue and gray 
were one. 



74 History of Troop "A" 

Beyond Leesburg the road lay through a beautiful 
grazing country, dotted with fine houses, and one's 
ideal of the Old Dominion became a reality. 

After some rifle practice near the battle field of 
Ball's Bluff, we pitched our dog tents in a magnifi- 
cently wooded place containing an extraordinary 
spring. 

The water bubbled up from under moss covered 
rocks, surroimded by great trees, and, crystal clear, 
formed a bnsin some seventy-five feet in diameter. 

It w^as a perfect camping ground, and we were vis- 
ited by many Leesburg people. 

The troops held a drill the following morning, on 
a hilly lawn, and the occasionaJ trees reaped a plen- 
teous harvest of campaign hats, but fortunately no 
heads were injured. Later in the same day we took 
up the march, retracing our steps through Lees- 
burg, and proceeding along a valley abounding in 
pretty country seats. 

The camp site for the night was not approved, be- 
ing a swampy sort of place, and after a bath and some 
supper we saddled up again and marched a mile fur- 
ther in search of a resting place. 

Finally wc made camp in an open field, and the 
colored mule drivers and cooks sang plantation 
hvmns around the fire. No matter how familiar the 



Camp Alger jt 

scenes might be, the picturesque in army Hfe never 
ceased to impress us. 

As an incident of the day, Walter, our cook, pol- 
ished off a mule driver, to the admiration of all be- 
holders. 

The following morning we enjoyed a march 
through the prettiest country which we had yet seen, 
and toward evening we halted and pitched our dog 
tents in an ideally beautiful spot. 

A stubble field sloped down to a little wood- 
fringed stream, a descent of several hundred yards. 
Green and goWen hills were all around us, while in 
the distance, grim and grand, rose the stately peaks 
of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

An old Mosby man came into camp that night 
and regaled us with tales of the Civil War. His best 
advice was to throw away the sabre and carry two 
revolvers to a man. He told us that Mosby 's men 
had done this with excellent results, and as regards 
buying an extra revolver many of us followed his 
counsel. 

Late in the next afternoon we halted for the night 
in a pretty meadow at some distance from water. The 
grazing was excellent, and some of the men herded 
the horses and let them browse on a hill near the 
camp. 

All went well until stable call. The herders claim 



76 History of Troop "A" 

that then they drove the horses back purposely, but 
there was an elan about the returning steeds which 
reminded us of the wild coursers of the desert and 
gave us a deep insight into the business end of a 
cavalry charge. 

We made our next midday halt in Fairfax Court 
House, and the old town resounded once more to 
the clank and tramp of cavalry. 

Off we went again after watering at the town 
pump, the road being almost dustier than usual, for 
we were out of the pleasant hill country and had en- 
tered the parched malarial district in which Camp 
Alger was situated, probably in the hope of getting 
the men acclimated. 

The camp looked very natural, and with all its 
faults we were glad to get back to it. 

We were sorry to hear that some of the Sixth 
Pennsylvania— about two hundred, I believe— 
learning that only sixteen men were left in the New 
York cavalry camp, had come over and black- 
guarded our sentries. 

The corporal in charge, Iselin, had walked out and 
talked with them, but they had withdrawn very sul- 
lenly. One of their officers had sent over word to 
look out that night, as many of their men swore that 
they would break guard and attack the troopers. 
Word was sent back that the cavalry had ball cart- 




WAGON TRAIN CROSSING A FORD NEAR LEESBURG, VA. 



Camp Alger 77 

ridges, and hoped that they would not be forced to 
use them on comrades, and nothing further hap- 
pened. 

Now the rumors and pipe dreams all began to 
swing toward Portoi Rico, and it was claimed that 
our march had been cut short, as we might be needed 
at any time. 

When all pipe dreams look alike, watch out for de- 
velopments. 

They came. One night, in the third relief, I was 
sitting with my corporal at the guard tent, when Ser- 
geant Cromwell came in to report ofif a late pass from 
Washington. He told us that it was all arranged, 
and that final orders would soon be received. 

When such intelligence comes it carries weight 
with it. It makes a man think, but it makes him 
glad. And then he doubts again. 

The entire twO' troops were in the heights of joy 
all morning, and racked with doubts all the rest of 
the day. Finally, about evening parade time, some 
large boxes arrived, and they were discovered to con- 
tain Krag-Jorgensen carbines and ammunition. The 
days of scepticism were over, and, as Terry re- 
marked, "The blood garglers were triumphant!" 

Final orders arrived at a late hour in the night, 
and the second lieutenant, who was then in com- 



78 History of Troop "A" 

mand, had the trumpet blown at four instead of at 
half-past five in the morning. 

The first sergeant went from tent to tent with a 
lantern spreading the news. No better example of 
a soldier's character can be given than the fact that 
all that any one replied was, "Porto Rico! How soon 
do we start? Not till this afternoon, anyway? D — n 
fool! Why the h — 1 don't he let us sleep, then? 

And, permission being given, the troop turned 
over and rested its allotted hour. 

The day was spent in equipping with Krags, etc., 
discarding every unnecessary article, drinking up a 
lot of beer, which we had obtained for a projected 
entertainment, and generally pulling up stakes. 

Just at dusk the trumpet note of "The General" 
sang the swan song of the New York cavalry at 
Camp Alger, and the troopers, in heavy marching 
order, on their horses, made a Rembrandt study in 
black and gold by the Hght of the flaring police 
fire. 

The wood snapped and crackled, and the stray 
cartridges in the flaming mass popped and banged. 
And amid the cheering and "Good bye, good luck to 
you, boys," of the less fortunate infantry. Troop "A" 
moved out from the place so long its home, silently 
and by night, as it had come, and Camp Alger knew 
it no more. 



Camp Alger 79 

We load onr horses on the cars, and quietly sleep 
on our packed saddles until, at about one o'clock in 
the morning, we enter our train and the whistle 
blows. Troop "A" is off for the front! 




"THE WHITE MANS Bl/f?D£/^" 



Detail to Purchase Horses 

By E. Mortimer Ward. 

IT ''""°" ''" «teed; constant thy care be and 

Horses of mettle and might are dear, and not easy to find." 

ALGERINE MAXIM. 

HE addition of nine- 
teen men to the strength 
of the troop made it 
necessary to procure 
horses enough to mount 
them, and to that end a 

'"Board to purchase 

horses for Troons 'A' nnri t' " 

■Liuups i\ and C was appomted. 

Lieutenant Frehnghuysen, with Sergeant Debe- 

voise, Private Bell, of Troop ''C"; Quartermaster 

Sergeant Bowne, Sergeant E. M. Ward and Private 

Barclay, of Troop "A," were detailed. 

A peculiar thing regarding the detail was that all 
the men had been "cow punchers," and that fact 
made work easy and comfortable, which would have 
been tiresome and disagreeable otherwise. 

The detail moved out June 30th late in the after- 
noon with "three days" stowed in various places, a 




82 History of Troop "A" 

piece of bacon hanging on one man's saddle and a 
frying pan packed on the blanket roll of another. 
The idea was to go through Fauquier and Loudoun 
counties and pick up horses from the farmers and 
stock farms which are scattered all through that 
section— probably the finest land in the Old Domin- 



ion. 



As we rode along the Leesburg Pike and got clear 
of Camp Alger we commenced to breathe entirely 
different air, and it seemed to make even the horses 
feel good. The weather was extremely hot, and 
''Virginia dust" has properties entirely its own. 

At midnight a halt was made, and by appropriat- 
ing the top rail of the fence we soon had coffee go- 
ing which touched the right spot. A trooper does 
not wish for delicacies when on the march, but coffee 
and tobacco he must have. 

We drew into Leesburg at two o'clock in the 
morning, having marched thirty-two miles, and af- 
ter stabling our horses returned to the hotel and 
slept in beds with sheets and feather pillows. As 
we were not used to such luxuries we all caught cold 
and said we would compromise on the floor next 

time. 

In the morning we looked over many would-be 
chargers, but few were selected. As the paragraph 
of the United States Army Regulations is clear and 



Detail to Purchase Horses 83 

distinct and the examination was rigid, and as our 
(>rowd were keen-eyed and critical, the dealers after 
a while told us what we wanted was a "perfect ani- 
mal at the government price." Having cleared up 
the market at Leesburg we moved out at nine that 
evening for Upperville, and camped at half-past two 
in a fine oak grove. 

After picketing the horses it took about two min- 
utes for every one to get sound asleep, only to get 
up again at five. The first man to wake on an oc- 
casion of this kind sees no reason why the rest should 
sleep, and promptly wakes up the most peaceful 
slumberer. He in turn disturbs some one else, and 
m a few minutes every one is up and camp is in full 
blast, fire going, cofTee boiling and bacon sizzling. 
On this occasion we sent out a forager who soon 
came back with his nose bag on his arm containino- 
eggs and biscuits which he had corralled at a nearby 
farm. 

While we were eating breakfast a gentleman on 
horseback rode through the grove and came over to 
our fire. Seeing our horses eating grass, he at once 
suggested sending us some corn for them. He went 
back to send the corn out to us, but changed his 
mind and brought it out himself and then made us 
continue our meal while he distributed the feed, say- 



Detail to Purchase Horses 85 

troop horses. A stop was made at "Welboiirne," a 
fine old Virp-inia house, where our ignorance of hos- 
pitality received another severe shock, though a 
mere nothing to the one we received later. The 
master of Welbourne wished us to rest and eat, but 
we blushingly said we had just had dinner and were 
not at all hungry, and as we must make Leesburg 
by noon the following day, we marched out. We 
were still marching when I went to sleep and woke 
just in time to catch myself. I started to tell the 
man alongside of me that I had been asleep, but he 
made no answer — he was asleep too. In order to 
keep awake we sang, not necessarily different songs, 
but each man had some song he had a grudge 
against, and he sang it for half an hour on a stretch. 
This part of Virginia is thinly settled, and the peo- 
ple live back from the roads, which fact undoubtedly 
kept some good citizen from taking a pot shot at us. 
At half-past three that morning we decided the 
horses must be sleepy and we would lie down and 
watch them sleep. By carefully removing the rails 
of a snake fence an entrance was gained to a large 
field, where we picketed out and turned in. The 
early riser overslept for some unknown reason, and 
the camp did not stir until half-past five, when it was 
decided to go in swimming. The only water handy 
was Goose Creek, which is one hundred feet wide 



86 History of Troop "A" 

and three inches deep at this point, and our swim 
resolved itself into a bath, and a very unsatisfactory- 
one. 

Returning to camp one man busied himself mak- 
ing coffee, another brought in the horses, and the 
others made up the rolls, packed the saddles and 
saddled the horses. Soon the cook announced cof- 
fee, and we drank our quart cups full and marched 
away. The whole operation took about twenty 
minutes, and no one gave orders, but each worked, 
thereby accomplishing much with little labor. Back 
to Leesburg at eleven that morning, and the dinner 
at the hotel was a success. We commenced to be- 
lieve that one meal a day was good for a man, but I 
am sorry for the hotel proprietor who provides that 
one meal at usual rates. A little sleep, we thought, 
would be nice, so we stretched on the floor and slept 
peacefully until five P. M., when we turned out, and 
after supper marched down the Leesburg pike to 
Camp Alger. At midnight we halted for one hour, 
and some one suggested that one stay awake 
and the rest go to sleep, but as the proposition failed 
to develop a man to stay awake we decided to have 
coffee, tobacco and stories. The hour soon passed, 
and we marched along watching the stars go out 
and the sun come up, and arrived at Cam]) with only 
three chargers for the Quartermaster. 




CAPT. CLAYTON. TROOP ■' C " 

A HALT ON THE MARCH TO GOOSE CREEK, VA. 



Detail to Purchase Horses 87 

On our second expedition it was decided to send a 
scout through the countr)- ahead of us, and to this 
end Private Lannon, who knew the country-, lan- 
guage and people (rare qualities for this risky posi- 
tion), was despatched with instructions to jump up 
every cavalr\- horse in the neighborhood. We took 
train to Upperville, stopped over night with our 
friend Law, and proceeded to finish up his honey and 
corn pone crop at breakfast. We then took a "fix"' 
and drove through Delaplain, Markham and Linden 
to Front Royal. At Markham our scout had caused 
many horses to be gathered, but although we want- 
ed horses badly only two were picked out, which 
relieved the congested condition of the "fix" of two 
men and saddles. 

It was a long drive to Front Royal, and no horses 
to be had when we arrived. The people of this 
town looked at us rather curiously, and upon ques- 
tioning a native it was discovered that these curi- 
ous people had never seen soldiers, and were 
naturally interested, as the town itself suffered dur- 
ing the last war many times. 

Dinner, pack up and in the "fix" again to drive 
back to Upperville. but on account of the horses we 
stopped at Linden, where we were told large rooms 
and fine accommodations were to be had. The room 
we finally got was large, though whether it was a 



88 History of Troop "A" 

town hall, dancing hall or a barn was a question, but 
we stretched out on the floor (which was harder 
than the ground) and woke up sore and stiff. We 
were not particularly in love with our host, and were 
glad to move away and take the train back to Alger, 
leaving Debevoise and Barclay to ride back. 

Some days later it was decided to try Upperville 
once more, as it was promised good stock would be 
shown; so leaving the squadron, which was then on 
a practice march, at Big Spring, we moved on to- 
ward Upperville, which was connected always in our 
minds with Mr. Law's hone}^ and corn pone. 

The next morning several fine animals were 
picked up in the village, and then on to "Wel- 
bourne," where our host most cordially invited us 
to dinner. We accepted with many thanks, and 
hoped the dinner would be long and slow the better 
to enjoy the attractions of the household. When 
a man has talked only to men and horses for two 
months, a dinner well served with most enjoyable so- 
ciety is not to be missed or taken lightly. It was 
suggested to the hostess during the course of dinner 
that it would be well for her to count her spoons be- 
fore we left the grounds, and she replied at omce that 
her first impulse on seeing us ride in was to "bury all 
the silver." Happening to remark a silver tumbler, 
which one rarely sees in the North, I was told they 



Detail to Purchase Horses 89 

had only eleven; the other had been appropriated 
during the late unpleasantness. 

After dinner one of the men made some refer- 
ence to our scout's thorough knowledge of the lan- 
guage of Virginia, and how we were all learning how 
.x> properly pronounce "Loudoun county," which at 
once brought forth a few remarks about the New 
York pronunciation of a few words, and we were 
getting the worst of it when the time came for us 
to return to Upperville, where we were actually to 
stay until the next afternoon. 

Next morning we rounded up the counti-y, and 
with eleven fine animals started for Camp Alger, 
passing through Middleburg, the scene of several 
cavalry fights in the sixties. 

On the road our friend who had given our horses 
the corn on our first trip, appeared again, and in 
spite of our protest that we were not in condition to 
dine ind^ 'ors we had to brush up and look our best 
and acce, t his generous hospitality. We decided 
that another dinner and we would die from having 
toO' much care shown us. 

Two of our fiery steeds broke loose during dinner, 
and Barclay was left to hunt them up and bring 
them in. 

When we marched out after dinner it was very 
dark, and on account of the dust the men rode quite 



90 History of Troop *'A" 

a distance behind one another. We stopped to 
water, just short of a cross roads, and as there had 
been talk of taking a different route home, the last 
man, after his led horses had drunk their fill, found 
himself alone with the choice of two roads before 
him. He could not see the other men after they 
rounded a small curve and could not hear them. 
He rode up the new road, but got no answer to his 
hail, and decided that they had taken the old road. 
It is easy to get lost on a black night, and still 
harder to find some one who is trying to find you. 
After playing tag for half an hour both parties de- 
cided if the other party could not find his or their 
way back it was his or their own fault, and both 
rode home on different roads. 

It was on the mountain road that night that 
two of our new horses decided they would not join 
the cavalry, and broke away and started back. De- 
bevoise raced them for two miles oil a rough road, 
and finally "headed" them and brought them up. 
The lost man was asleep when the outfit met in 
Leesburg, at four A. M., and as he had beaten the 
main party by getting lost it was considered best 
not to "guy" him. We placed the horses in a field 
and turned in. 

Imagine our surprise in the morning to find the 
field empty. We were making our way back to 



Detail to Purchase Horses 9 i 

report the circumstances when a small boy told us 
a man had taken the horses to his livery stable. 
Very kind of him, but it would have been fatal if any 
of us had had weak hearts. 

We kept quiet all day, as it was very hot, and 
moved out late in the afternoon toward Camp 
Alger, stopping for supper on the Camp ground 
the squadron had used, because we knew there 
would be some fire wood there which some ambi- 
tious recruit had cut. An old trooper always comes 
out even on his w^ood; he never cuts more than he 
needs or has to. 

We had a full ration, with extras, on this occa- 
sion, and one of our number returned from "water" 
with a pie, and announced that he had negotiated 
for some corn pone, which was disposed of with 
great success. 

Supper finished, we moved out, and at five in the 
morning pulled into camp. 

After a couple of hours' sleep we reported, and 
were soon hustling around like every one else, as 
"pipe orders'' had been recei\'e(l by the "Commit- 
tee" that we were going to start for Puerto Kico 
(according to them) in a few minutes. 



From Camp Alger to 
Porto Rico 

Stowe Phelps. 

"Kennelled in the picaroon, a weary band were we." 

—The Last Chantey. 
"Aaid then dreams he of cutting- foreign throats, 
Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, 
Of healths five fathoms deep; and then anon 
Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes." 

—Romeo and Juliet. 

BOUT midnight on the 
twenty-third of July the 
ti-ain pulled out of the Dunn 
Loring Station for Newport 
News. At last we were 
really off for the front, that 
mythical place where ex- 
citement, glory and victory 
await the budding hero. 
These and similar thoughts occurred to us, only in a 
very dreamy way, however, as we curled ourselves 
up as gracefully as possible on our saddles, with car- 
bines in the small of our backs and haversacks on 
our chests to keep us from rolling about too much. 

We were tired, for the day had been a long one, 
beginning with the four o'clock reveille, when we 




94 History of Troop "A" 

were awakened out of our sleep, only to be told to 
"as you were;" though even with the excitmg news 
in our ears that we were leaving for the Spanish 
Main that day every one rolled over and went to 
sleep again and wondered why in the devil they 
were routing us out in the middle of the night when 
we weren't to start till afternoon. 

The next morning every one slept as long as he 
could, and then began to shout for food. This was 
our first mess on travel rations, and it was quite a 
change from the Waldorf fare of Camp Alger. 
Canned corned beef and cauned beans, with hot 
coffee, were served by the energetic commissary. 
When comments were made that the coffee would 
have been better had it had sugar and milk in it, 
said commissary explained that milk made it in- 
digestible, and sugar would be bad for the stomach 
of any one going ou a sea voyage, thereby adding 
another proof of his magnificent forethought and 
his ever watchful care over the health of the men. 

Richmond, Va., was reached about oue P. M. As 
the train slowed down in passing through the town 
many Southern beauties stood beside the tracks and 
waved farewells to us. One, still more fair than the 
others, singling out Langdon Erving with the quick- 
ness that comes only with love at first sight, thrust 
a flower into his hand as the train sped by. This 



From Camp Alger to Porto Rico 95 

flower, it was seen, had a note attached to it, the 
contents of which are unknown except in the secret 
archives of the War Department. Careful observers, 
however, noted that on reading it Langdon blushed 
twice, though he assured us repeatedly it was only a 
"foolish joke." 

About five o'clock Newport News hove in sight, 
and it was not long before camp was made on the 
banks of the James River, whose waters promised 
fine bathing. This was Sunday afternoon, the 24th 
of July. For two days we enjoyed the novelty of a 
new camp; but disquieting rumors were once more 
around to disturb our peace. A combination of cir- 
cumstances might still arise by which Troop "A" 
would be left behind. It was said that of the five 
troops of cavalry at Newport News only twO' were to 
be taken, and the choice would probably fall between 
three troops: The City Troop, of Philadelphia; 
Troop "C," of Brooklyn, and ourselves. Which of 
these three would have to stay at home? Nobody 
knew very much of what was going on behind the 
scenes, but evidently there was a good deal. How- 
ever, speculation was cut short on Wednesday morn- 
ing, July 2^, by orders for all three troops to board 
Transport No. 22, O. M. D., which was the official 
name for the cattle steamship Massachusetts, of the 
Atlantic Transport Line, and the question as to who 



96 History of Troop "A" 

should stay behind was now solved by all three 
troops squeezing themselves into the boat. 

Loading a troop on to a transport with forty days' 
rations for man and beast was no pipe dream. There 
were hundreds of boxes of hard tack and canned 
goods, sides of bacon and bags of sugar, flour, cofifee, 
potatoes, onions, &c., besides Buzzacott ovens, boil- 
ers, kettles, pots and pans and the odds and ends of 
a kitchen outfit. Then there were the hay and oats, 
bales and bags ol them, and the tentage and other 
Q. M. necessities. 

All this impedimenta was put on board by our- 
selves, now turned into a gang of stevedores, armed 
with the proper two wheeled truck, and working in a 
manner that we had little dreamed of when we had 
strolled about the pier of an ocean liner and watched 
the similar process of loading. 

Finally the mule wagons, and last, but not least, 
the mules themselves. Now, the mule is a noble 
creature, but the placing of this worthy and saga- 
cious animal in any given position requires patience, 
tactical skill, diplomacy, a modicum of persuasive- 
ness, and considerable force. He is phlegmatic, at 
least to all outward appearances; surrounding condi- 
tions possess no interest for him. The war with Spain 
was a bagatelle in comparison to the fly on his left 
hind leg. But when he is grabbed around the middle 




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From Camp Alger to Porto Rico 97 

by an invisible something, and yanked heavenward 
in a most unusual manner, he begins to take notice. 
First he tries kicking, but gives that up, for what is 
the use of kicking when it produces no results; and 
then when he is suddenly dropped from his aerial 
position and landed on something solid once more, 
he is SO' surprised that he doesn't know what to do. 
Or if it is his fate to go on board via a gangplank, he 
is led unresisting as far as the bottom of the plank. 
This, however, is usually the limit of asinine endur- 
ance, and it becomes necessary to "put in the re- 
serve." A stout rope is passed back of the animal. 
Three men attach themselves to each end — one or 
two more stand in convenient positions with sticks. 
Then comes the tug. The mule plants his feet, the 
six men pull, the two men beat, the man at the halter 
yanks, everybody shouts, and finally Mr. Mule bucks 
fiercely up the gangplank, the leader prancing ahead 
with some celerity, and both disappear in the cav- 
ernous depths of the ship. 

About one o'clock on Thursday, July 28, the last 
box of hardtack had been stowed away, the last piece 
of baggage pulled on board, the last mule had been 
hoisted over the side, the last good bye said, the 
last letter written home, and amid cheers and shouts 
and a few tears the Massachusetts slowly backed 
awav from the dock. 



98 History of Troop "A" 

And, now that we were really leaving our own 
country, perhaps never to come back again, now 
that we were going into the actual presence of the 
enemy, no one seemed to think any more of it than 
of a holiday excursion. 

As the Troop rode down Fifth Avenue on the sec- 
ond day of May the change of conditions from the 
day before came over us with a rush, and we felt 
quite heroic, notwithstanding we were going in the 
opposite direction from the enemy. A month later, 
when, leaving Camp Black, with our faces really 
turned toward the front, we marched past General 
Roe and his wife and daughter, there was hardly a 
dry eye in the crowd; but now it seemed more like 
a picnic. This was due probably to an actual change 
that had come about in the minds of the men in the 
last few weeks. 

When the President issued his proclamation we 
responded for various reasons — because our country 
had called us; because we wanted the Squadron to 
make a good showing. Some went for the experi- 
ence or the vacation ; others felt there was no special 
reason for not going, and a few — well, a few — hoped 
it might make an impression on Her whose heart 
was hard; and if it didn't, then a Spanish bullet 
would not be so unwelcome after all. But, what- 
ever the reasons mav have been, after two or three 



From Camp Alger to Porto Rico 99 

months in uniform you forget them all — you forget 
to care that your business is going to smash, or that 
you are missing your summer vacation. Your one 
desire is to get to the front, somewhere, somehow, 
and fight somebody, something! Therefore, why be 
anything but careless and happy under the circum- 
stances? 

So' the voyage began under favorable conditions. 
It was not a case, however, of three men in a boat, 
but of eleven hundred, to say nothing of nine hun- 
dred horses and mules. Every available spot was 
filled, and many that were unfit for any living thing. 
The two upper decks were occupied by the animals, 
packed in like sardines, every two being separated 
by a rough board. The sufferings of these patient 
beasts must have been awful. Space was so wanting 
that they had to be crowded in close to the engines 
and boilers in a temperature that even under the 
best of conditions kept them in a constant sweat, 
and when the boat ran aground in the harbor 
of Ponce and all circulation of air ceased many of 
them came near dying. It is marvellous that only 
one succumbed during the four or five days that 
elapsed before they could be unloaded. 

As to the men, they were also very crowded, but 
the accommodations were fairly comfortable. The 
quarters were in the cellar. Here, heavy uprights, 



lOO History of Troop **A" 

eighteen inches on centres, had been placed in rows 
about ten feet apart, between which were hung the 
canvas hammocks in two tiers. When it is consid- 
ered that all the equipment and kit, saddles, tents, 
blankets, arms and accoutrements of each man had 
to be accommodated in the small space that thus fell 
to his lot, and also that no such things as passage- 
ways had been left, one can imagine the scene when 
some man who lived in the furthest corner started 
to turn in. He always came last of all, of course, 
usually with a wet poncho on, after having been 
driven from the piazza by rain. Imagine him diving 
over hammocks and under others, falHng on saddles, 
kicking down carbines and tripping over sabres. 
Imagine him showering every one with water, but 
don't imagine the language that was used; though 
some of the remarks made by Frank Bowne and 
Morty Ward were worthy of preservation as class- 
ics. However, most of us slept on the roof garden, 
which was much more comfortable, despite the dan- 
ger of rolling overboard while asleep, as there was 
no protection around the edge. 

And just here is a fitting place to record the sad 
death of one of our most loved companions, the best 
of mascots, Sweet Rosie O'Grady, who we called 
"Rosie" for short. One day while she was playing 
tag with "Watty" Leigh she fell overboard, and our 





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XjW 






^■■B'^r iHBiy^s 









From Camp Alger to Porto Rico loi 

last sight of her was the pathetic wiggle of her little 
tail as she sank into a watery grave. 

As regards the mess, it was a great change from 
what we had been having. The government travel 
ration which is arranged for troops when they are 
not supposed to do any cooking, consists of canned 
beef (corned), canned beans, canned tomatoes once 
in fours days, sugar, coffee, salt, etc., and a few other 
things, such as soap and candles, these last being 
of little help in varying the menu. If coffee cannot 
be cooked, each man is allowed "coffee money" (as 
when travelling on railroads) to the extent of twen- 
ty-one cents per day, which represents three pints 
of coffee at seven cents per pint. On the trans- 
ports, however, arrangements had been made for 
making coffee, that is to say there were two cal- 
drons that would make enough for some four hun- 
dred men, which meant that the other seven hundred 
had to change their hours for mess till such times as 
they could get hold of the boilers. That Troop "A" 
never had to wait was due entirely to the energies of 
our head cook, Walter Johnson, to whom all praise 
is due for his untiring labors throughout the entire 
campaign. He was up early and late, and no amount 
of work was too much for him. 

Apparently the only reason for not providing the 
men with something hot once a day besides the 



102 History of Troop "A" 

coffee, was the lack of time (or forethought), as the 
arrangements on the transport coming home were 
most satisfactory in this respect. As it was, after 
some "persuasion," a soup was cooked for us in the 
ship's galley on two or three occasions. 

Mess was at first served in the quarters, but this 
cramped and stuffy locality was soon changed for a 
more commodious one on deck ; for even if it had no 
greater area horizontally, its dimensions vertically 
reached to infinity, and the ventilation was excellent. 
It needed to> be, for it was sun'ounded by mules 
w^hose salient gray faces in bas relief might have 
served (to quote Laury Lee) as a family portrait gal- 
lery to various people not unconnected with military 
affairs. No water was obtainable to wash the kits, 
and cold canned beans are insoluble in hay; but one 
got used to anything after a while. If, however, 
there were no skittles, there was still beer, good and 
cold and plenty of it. At first this was sold by the 
ship's steward, who owned the monopoly, at twen- 
ty-five cents a bottle; but this trust was ''investi- 
gated" by the officers and ordered to liquidate. 
After that the Commissary Department was able to 
obtain it in wholesale quantities at fifteen cents a 
bottle and retail it at the same price, with or with- 
out a sandwich, or even a license. 

Besides the government ration, there had been 



From Camp Alger to Porto Rico 103 

bought a quantity of canned corn, peas, peaches, 
pears, &c., which relieved the monotony of the 
regulation diet. There was one man, though, E. 
Thomson by name, who was the joy of the Com- 
missary Department. He needed no pate de fois 
gras and truffles tO' keep up his appetite. When 
every one was making unkind remarks to the com- 
missary, and thinking worse ones about the fare pro- 
vided, Ernie would come around and cry for beans, 
just as though he had been brought up on them in- 
stead of on Castoria; nor would he be happy till he 
had a whole can for himself. 

In the light of recent events it may be interesting 
to note that the canned corned beef was of most ex- 
cellent quality and a delicious article of diet when 
not taken too often. 

No canned roast beef hadbeen issued to the troops 
at Camp Alger, but by "crossing the palm" of the 
boss stevedore with a bottle of rye several cases of 
this commodity were obtained. The exchange was a 
poor one, for the substance in the cans was dry, 
tough and stringy, and apparently all nourishment 
had been taken out of it; and neither boiling, baking 
nor any other known process of cooking produced a 
change in the texture. 

It was during the voyage down that Arthur 
Brown, who had done valuable work as assistant in 



I04 History of Troop "A" 

the Commissary Department, was promoted to be 
the official cook of the troop, with the rank and pay 
of a corporal. He and little Bob Troescher, who had 
detailed himself to the kitchen, worked like horses in 
a way that few men knew about and still less appre- 
ciated. They and Morty Ward, the most inde- 
fatigable of stable sergeants, did more work than any 
dozen men you could pick out. 

The matter of supplying man and beast with 
water on the transport was one that should have had 
more attention from the proper authorities. The 
water we got was very dirty, very warm and, worst 
of all, very scarce; so much so that no one ever had 
anywhere near the amount he would have liked, and 
the poor horses were always on a very short allow- 
ance, some of them at one time being without water 
for thirty hours. And the strange part of it all was 
that this scarcity seemed entirely unnecessary, for 
when the boat ran on the bar at Ponce two hundred 
tons of cool, clear water were pumped overboard to 
Hghten the ship. 

A hogshead was placed on one of the decks to^ hold 
drinking water for the men, but it was more often 
empty than full. A sentry stood guard over it and 
allowed you only what you could swallow on the 
spot. If one was skilful, however, he could drink part 
of a cupful and take a sketchy bath with the rest, 



From Camp Alger to Porto Rico 105 

though the bathing faciHties were excellent after 
two or three days, the same being a hose and a three 
inch stream of salt water, which was turned on the 
line of candidates each morning. The wise individ- 
ual, and these seem to have been very few, never was 
troubled with thirst, however, for he kept his can- 
teen full and by wetting the outside always had a 
quantity of fairly cool water on hand. 

The routine of the day consisted principally of 
light guard duty and stables, this last being a task 
at which even Mr. Hercules would have shuddered. 
Although a great deal was done in this line, it pro- 
duced very little result on the large mass of filth that 
soon accumulated, and the decks where the animals 
were, soon got into a most horrible condition, which 
should never have been permitted; not so much the 
fault of the officers and men on the boat, as the 
crowded condition of affairs that made a proper po- 
licing of the ship impossible. 

A so-called inspection of the men's quarters was 
made at uncertain intervals, but nothing was done, 
and indeed it is doubtful if there was ver}^ much that 
could have been done with the mass of stuff that 
filled every corner. 

The trip in itself was uneventful, and the sea was 
so calm that seasickness troubled no one, though sev- 
eral men said their "stomachs seem to be a little out 



io6 History of Troop "A" 

of order" and acted in a manner that was far from 
self-contained. Daily practice was held with our two 
new Colt rapid fire guns, to be in readiness for the 
practical work to which we hoped soon to put them. 

One cannot overlook the fact that there were 
great possibilities for disaster on this trip to Porto 
Rico. If one stops to think that the transport was 
entirely without convoy, with no life-preservers and 
with boats enough to hold only a possible two hun- 
dred of the thirteen hundred souls on board; also 
that the vessel caught fire five times from sparks 
dropping in the hay, the picture of a most horrible 
tragedy can be imagined. 

Luckily nothing did happen, and on the second 
of August we sighted land. Then for the first time 
a subdued excitement spread over us. The enemy at 
last was in sight — that is, we couldn't exactly see 
him, but he might be hiding anywhere, and we 
rather expected a stray Mauser bullet to come liiss- 
ing by our ears for a welcome. 

Soon the news was brought to us that Ponce had 
surrendered, but that we were not to land, but pro- 
ceed farther down the coast and join General 
Brooke. "Hurrah! We are in it at last!"— when 
suddenly the vessel lurches, lunges forward a little 
and then stops. Awful moment! We were hard 
and fast on the bar of Ponce harbor! 



Unloading Horses 

Leonard S. Horner. 

" Dip and drink deep, 

Cold water is a feast; 

Good entertainment here 

For man and beast." 

— The Moderation of Transports. 

' But down in the depths of the vaults below, 
There's Malvoisie for a world of woe." 

— Molloy. 

T was Tuesday afternoon, 
the day after the "Massa- 
chusetts" had come to her 
forced anchorage. 

Near noon on that day 
the "pipe dream," which 
had gained more credence 
every hour, viz., that the 
troop was to be moved from 
the ship, became a reahty, and we were ordered 
to pack up our belongings and pile them on the 
officers' deck preparatory to being lowered on the 
flat scow, which was to move men, arms and pos- 
sessions to the "Prairie" for the night. The rolls 
were made and strapped to the saddles, and these. 




io8 History of Troop "A" 

with arms and belts, were thrown in one big pile on 
the deck to await the next move. Orders then came 
that Sergeant E. M. Ward was to select ten men 
and stay on the ship to water and feed the horses 
and guard the commissary stores. The ten were 
Sergeant Ward, in charge; Saddler Becker, Wag- 
oner Glynn, Farrier Bird and Privates Bradley, 
Grannis, Hildreth, Horner, Lee and Ledyard. The 
packs, arms and clothing of the above were ordered 
to be put in a separate corner, and a guard put over 
them. At about four the troop lowered their stuff 
into the scow, and then piled in themselves, to be 
towed to the 'Trairie." 

The horse detail went below and started their 
work of watering the suffering beasts, which had 
been nearly all day without water, as the ship's 
pumps had broken some days before. The water had 
to be dipped from the tank and passed from hand to 
hand along the line of men who stood in the narrow 
gangways in front of the horse stalls. 

The heat w^as intense on this deck, cut off from 
all air. The water basin itself was deep and was sit- 
uated in the extreme after-part of the ship, down 
two ladders from the stable; and, due to the oppor- 
tune suggestion of Laurie Lee, a lariat was used to 
lower the buckets into the well. The work at the 
lariat was of the most trying kind, and a man could 



Unloading Horses loo 

stand the strain for only a short time before he had 
to be reheved. 

There were a like number of Troop "C" men left 
for the same purpose, and these, with the hospital 
and signal corps, some regulars and the mule skin- 
ners and wagoners, distributed themselves about 
every five feet along the long gangways from the 
well to the extreme fore-part of the ship. 

The horses were nearly wild with thirst, and 
greedily drank three bucketsful each, all they were 
allowed. As the horses near the well were watered 
the line became gradually longer and longer, until 
nearly the whole ship was encircled by this human 
chain. 

Time passed and night began to fall, and to add to 
the discomfort the electric lights failed to work, so 
we were in almost total darkness, save for the lan- 
terns hung at the hatchways. About seven the 
spirits of the men began to droop; the occasional 
laughter and talk heard at first stopped, and all set- 
tled down to work, with only the sound of "Water," 
as a full bucket was passed, and "Empty," as the 
bucket was handed back for a fresh supply. Every- 
one was stripped to the waist, so intense was the 
heat, and sweat was streaming from every pore. 

Captain Williamson, U.S.A., had charge of this 
work, and let everybody know it. 



110 History of Troop "A" 

As the buckets were passed from hand to hand 
along the narrow passage the horses tried to grab 
them with their teeth. One could see as the bucket 
passed, a man raise it and take a drink, not caring 
for the dirt and forgetting the fact that any number 
of horses and mules had rubbed their noses on its 
sides. 

This was finally over with, and after haying down 
we went on deck to find some air and food. By this 
time it was nearing nine o'clock, and we had last 
eaten at noon. A small supper of bread, butter and 
coffee had been provided, and it '^''d taste very good. 
All our clothing, blankets and arms had been 
ordered to be thrown on the scow, so we had only 
the shirts on our backs. Bird's shirt even had gone 
with the other stuff. 

All this was, however, soon forgotten, and we 
came to feel that we were by far the luckiest men in 
the troop. This was the glorious part of the history 
of Mort's Detail and one that will last forever in the 
memory of those who participated. 

Having no blouses nor blankets we decided it 
wisest to go down to the "hole," and enjoy the ham- 
mocks. With us were those two worthies, Mort 
Ward and Doc Becker, well acquainted with the 
contents of all boxes, whether belonging to our 
command or any other, and their eagle eyes soor. 



Unloading Horses 1 1 1 

espied one marked "Currycombs and Brushes." 
They dived into it and brought out five quarts of 
"King William IV.," of unquestionable merit at all 
times, and especially to the v^et and weary. We 
brightened up. The more we looked the more we 
found. First, a barrel of crackers; then on prying 
open the special box of the commissar}' sergeant, 
Stowe Phelps, a dozen cans of condensed milk; and 
last a sack of sugar and coffee mixed. With this 
layout we started to forget the past, and thought 
this world was pretty good after all. 

Rowe Bradley became official barkeep, with the 
special function of mixing just enough whiskey and 
lemon with Apollinaris water. Dear old Phil became 
the milk-punch shaker, and the rest of us did our 
part by passing around the flowing bowl (a can 
acquired by Doc from another command). 

An old tar came down in the midst of this banquet 
and enjoyed his share, sang songs, and said a few 
things not to be written about "that damned cap- 
tain." 

We rolled up in our hammocks in the early morn- 
ing, only to be aroused at five to get a cup of 
coffee and a hardtack, when the orders came to start 
unloading the horses. This was done by swinging 
a derrick over to the side of the ship, having a rope 
attached to the end of the arm with a canvas sling 



112 History of Troop "A" 

on it, in which the horses and mules were tied, and 
then lowered to the scow. Doc Becker went down 
on the first scow and loaded it. It was a unique sen- 
sation, standing in the scow, the rise and fall of the 
heavy ground swell now dashing it against the side 
of the ship, now carrying it a few yards away; with 
what looked like an octopus coming down on you 
from thirty feet above, legs going every way. The 
man in the scow had the guide rope, and his first 
attempt, as the horse sprawled on the floor and then 
scrambled for the side', was to grab the beast by the 
halter and jerk him back. It took good nerve, but 
the men stuck to it, and the scows were loaded in 
good shape and were swung aft to wait for the 
launch to tow them to shore. 

Once as a magnificent dark chestnut was being 
lowered, and just before it got to the scow, the 
swing slipped off and at the same instant the scow 
veered away from' the ship; so down into the ocean 
the horse went, and for an instant was out of sight. 
Seeing we could not save him we threw the halter 
strap off and the horse struck out, swimming 
against the high waves straight out to sea, so be- 
wildered that instinct did not guide him toward 
land. But soon he turned, and, now nearly ex- 
hausted, in some way turned over on his side and 
seemed to* float, so as to get his wind. Then recover- 



Unloadino: Horses 



113 



ing he struck out again, and slowly passed around 
the stern toward the island off to our right. After 
what seemed a long time, a joyful shout rang 
through the air from the other side of the ship, and 
we knew the animal had landed safely. 

We were relieved in the afternoon, and so ends the 
history of Mort's Detail. 



^^*4MlSC£»g^^ 




The Camp at Ponce 



Irving Riiland. 

" Now hearts are filled with hope and stern resolve ; 
Now war becomes a memory and we 
Are left to dodge tarantulas and hunt 
The gay guerilla." —A Pretty Picnic. 

" When a man's occupied, leisure 
Seems to him wonderful pleasure; 
Faith, and at leisure once is he, 
Straightway he wants to be busy; 
Here we're at peace — and aghast I'm 
Caught, thinking war is a pastime." 

— The Glove. 

T was a fitting conclusion 
for the voyage of the "Mas- 
sachusetts" that she should 
run aground at the very 
mouth of the harbor where 
we were expecting to land. 
If the mishap caused sur- 
prise, that emotion was 
quite swallowed up by the 
rage that followed it. 
Things were said of the captain, mates and men that 
may not be indicated even in a history of troopers. 
We seemed to have run aground so gently that 




ii6 History of Troop "A" 

we hoped the h'antic churning of the screw would 
soon back us off. As the afternoon waned our 
hopes faded with it; and they were not brightened 
much by the sight of a wretched side-wheeler, the 
famous "Gussie," which finally came hesitatingly to 
help us. The poor red craft looked like a nickel-in- 
the-slot steamboat. Her crew missed the rope we 
threw them, and, wheeling in a large circle that took 
her almost hull down on the horizon, she finally 
came alongside again. A hawser was made fast from 
our stern to hers, and she tugged feebly while our 
wheel tore the water furiously. We did not move 
an inch. All at once darkness was upon us, and we 
knew we were doomed to another night on the 
"Massachusetts." It poured, of course, in the night, 
but the day dawned brightly, and the arrival of some 
steamers, sturdier looking than our red friend, made 
us hopeful again. 

Volunteers were asked for the perilous task of 
rowing officers ashore. Many were called, but few 
were chosen, and they were the envied of men. The 
excursion, however, was not all beer and skittles, 
for the hours were long and the lifeboat of the 
"Massachusetts" was not a pleasure craft. After a 
few hours they returned, and we overwhelmed them 
with questions in our eager curiosity about the 
island and the people, and the things to eat and 



The Camp at Ponce 117 

drink. They had eaten mangoes, crackers and 
guava paste; they had drunk Hme and soda with ice 
in it, and had heard vague tales of a hotel where 
food was to be had. In a word, the port of Ponce was 
most friendly — a place of pedlers of food and cigar- 
ettes — and the enemy was far away in the hills. 
"Sergeant Pat" had been seen riding a tiny horse, 
his feet nearly touching the ground, and it had been 
learned that we were to have landed down the coast 
at Arroyo if we had not run aground. 

All day, off and on, steamers and tugs made fast 
now to our bow and now to our stern, trying to 
budge our beloved ship. Spray flew and heavy steel 
cables broke; but we moved not. Our hearts 
sank at the thought of another night on board; 
but in the afternoon the joyful order came to get 
saddles, packs and arms on deck. All the belong- 
ings of the Troop (except the horses) were piled 
on the starboard hurricane deck, and we squatted 
in the midst of our possessions, waiting for the com- 
mand to load them on the lighters. It came at last, 
and squad by squad we toiled around to port with 
our saddles, packs and arms and lowered them by 
ropes into the lighters alongside. Then we learned 
that Vv^e were not going ashore, but on board the 
cruiser "Prairie" for the night, our wretched craft 
having sprung a leak at last. We scrambled down 



ii8 History of Troop "A" 

the side, some into the huge lifeboat of the "Massa- 
chusetts," the rest into Hghters, and were merrily on 
our way to the "Prairie." She lay a few hundred 
yards away, and was said to have been stationed 
there to guard against the Spanish torpedo boat 
"Terror," which was still supposed to be at large. 
We were heartily welcomed on board by the crew 
(Naval Reserves from Massachusetts) ; and the good 
ship "Prairie," with her clean wide decks and spick 
and span order— what a contrast she made to our 
lumbered up, foul smelling transport! 

The sailors gave us cool, clear water, hot tea, with 
milk, and hot ship biscuits. The earliest to arrive 
had mangoes and rice pudding! Our first ser- 
geant exercised some secret influence, so that we 
had part of a deck to ourselves to sleep on. 

In the morning, after a breakfast of hardtack and 
coffee, we were towed ashore in a big lighter, and 
were in the enemy's country at last. We did not 
have to fight for a landing, alas! (as some said). 
Natives came out to pole us alongside the big pier, 
and as we scrambled ashore pedlers of mangoes and 
greasy little corn cakes, and boys with boards pile'd 
high with "duke coca," singing their melancholy 
song, plied us with their wares. We lingered on the 
pier for a while, and then marched to the square in 
front of the church, that was to be our camp until the 





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U. S. S. " PRAIRIE " — PON'CE HARBOR 




SATTERLEE 



CORP. ERVING 



COMING ASHORE FROM THE " PRAIRIE " — PONCE HARBOR 



The Camp at Ponce 119 

horses were unloaded. The Philadelphians were 
already ensconced on the shady side of the church; 
some of them were trying to get picket line posts to 
hold in the soggy ground. In the afternoon we 
moved to the opposite side of the square to- the cor- 
ner, where our saddles were piled in cheerful con- 
fusion. Here Frank Morse paid us a visit. He had 
come to Porto Rico to join the "Rough Riders;" find- 
ing none there he joined forces with Troop "A," and 
afterward remained with us until we were mustered 
out. Some of those who were not on guard or on 
the detail to unload horses and stores, slept on the 
narrow piazzas of the houses, or wherever a patch 
of shade could be foimd. Others wandered through 
the Httle town and brought back stories of endless 
cheap cigars and cheaper meals of rice and beans and 
an occasional egg. Bread could be bought at greatly 
advanced prices — four centavos a small loaf — con- 
scientiously haggling over the price, but ending by 
paying it. We spent the night lying where we 
could — under shelter when it was to be found, for 
rain was certain to fall. Many, however, were con- 
tent with the pebbly road. The scuttling of land 
crabs and attack of mosquitoes made the night far 
from happy. 

Milkmen appeared at dawn, and the inevitable 
boy with his melancholy song of "dulce coca," 



120 History of Troop "A" 

The milkmen milked the cows at the doorsteps 
directly into small necked bottles, a ring of in- 
terested urchins and idle ox drivers watching the 
obviously virtuous process. (The milk we bought 
at our later camp must have reached the can of the 
pedler by a more devious and watery way.) Ox 
carts loaded with commissary stores soon filled the 
street — a slowly moving, patient procession. Those 
of the men who could get away invaded the dirty 
little restaurants for breakfast, as our commissary 
department was still cHnging with patient affection 
to a combination of hardtack and canned tomatoes. 
Our horses began to come ashore as the day 
dragged along, and were picketed to the fence 
where the native washerwomen had been hanging 
their clothes. By nightfall about twenty horses 
were ashore, and Sergeant Emmet, with a detail of 
the lucky men whose horses had been landed, was 
sent to Ponce to make a camp. All turned out to 
help them root out their saddles, packs and arms 
from the mass of Troop 'A's" belongings piled in 
utter confusion about the corner house; and, in- 
cidentally, each man grasped his own as it came to 
view and piled it all together, thinking — fooHsh 
one! — that when he came to get his things, there 
they would be. Rain began to trickle as night fell, 
and all packs were ordered to be heaped under the 



The Camp at Ponce 121 

eaves of the friendly house. Confusion reigned 
again, and swearing was heard in the morning. 

Horses came ashore steadily the next day, one 
lighterful being towed in by toiling horse marines 
of Troop "A," other boatfuls by launches; so that 
by afternoon most of our cattle were ashore, and 
were led to Ponce and turned loose to graze in the 
inclosure where our camp was pitched. A running 
stream was near at hand, where horses could have 
water in plenty, and where we could bathe without 
stint. This abundance of water was real luxury — 
somewhat modified, perhaps, by the kn^owledge 
that dirty washerwomen, washing dirtier clothes, 
lined the banks above us. For it will be remem- 
bered that, excepting on the short marches we 
made in Virginia, we had had scanty allowance of 
water for horse and man since we left New York. 

The encampment at Ponce was at first in shelter 
tents ranged along a barbed wire fence. The fence 
was soon hung from end to end with haversacks, 
canteens, blankets and underclothes of every ^size 
and color; ponchos and blankets were stretched 
from the tent-tops to the fence-posts to make 
larger the area protected from sun and rain. The 
tents and their additions, however, promised poor 
shelter from the storm that was always brooding 
darkly along the mountain-ridges beyond the city. 



122 History of Troop "A" 

All the tents were prudently ditched with what 
seemed sufficient trenches against floods as we had 
known them. In the first few storms they carried 
the water off. But one day the deluge came and 
the deepest ditches were as though they were not. 
Wide streams poured through the tents, soaking 
everything, and a saffron pond slowly crept from 
the picket line to the lowest of the tents. There 
was not a dry inch in camp. After the storm abated 
every one turned out to dig trenches that would 
defy Puerto Rico's worst. Deep into the fibrous soil 
they chopped and dug, leading wide channels to 
the ravine beyond the fence. Some even made 
raised floors of bamboo to make assurance doubly 
sure — and the next day the camp was moved. Cir- 
cular tents were raised beyond the picket line, and 
they, after being well ditched, were proof against 
whatever came. Only three were needed at first, as 
the details under Lieutenant Frelinghuysen and 
Sergeant Cromwell had taken many men to the in- 
terior. Some of us clung to the shelter tents, others 
swung hammocks from trees and posts and pro- 
tected their beds from rain with various picturesque 
devices. Squads were no longer kept together — the 
men slept where they liked. 

"B" Troop, Second Cavalry, was camped in the 
field adjoining, and with it we were made into a 



The Camp at Ponce 123 

squadron under the command of Captain Hoppin, 
and were attached to the Headquarters of the Army. 
A running guard was now estabHshed, three pri- 
vates, each to relieve the other, being enough to 
guard the camp. There was no corporal of the 
guard, which arrangement met with the unqualified 
approval of the non-coms. When "B" Troop left 
for the interior, the guard was increased to six men, 
and a corporal, and the heyday of the corporals was 
over. 

Details went each day aboard the "Massachu- 
setts" till the medical, commissary and quartermas- 
ter's stores were all ashore and in camp. The men 
who had this work to do found an hour now and 
then to sit in the corner store at the Playa and drink 
Hme and soda with ice, or to get dinner — eggs, rice 
and beans, fried fish, perhaps, sour wine (if they 
wanted it), a kind of guava paste and coffee — at the 
little hotel around the corner, whose imperturbable, 
slowly moving proprietor nor prayers nor profanity 
could stir beyond his 'customed pace; or to smoke 
on his little balcony that overlooked the dreamy bay, 
where the black transports lay in sleepy calm, and 
natives lazily poled clumsy lighters ashore. The 
second day in camp we took the horses to the Playa 
to swim them in the sea. The water, warm as it was, 
freshened up men and horses wonderfully, and sev- 



124 History of Troop "A" 

eral times afterward this excursion to the sea was 
repeated. 

The question that filled our minds these earty 
days was whether we should be sent into action, and 
when, and where, and how. Attached to General 
Miles as his body-guard, we speculated upon what 
chance there would be of our getting on the firing 
line when Aibonito was stormed. Some said one 
thing and some said another, till one afternoon the 
familiar word was given around that "there would be 
no more passes; no one could leave camp." Smiles 
were smiled, of course; but rumors of an attack to 
be made on the morrow (August 13th), though they 
werehstened to lightly, gave a faint shade of serious- 
ness to the familiar prohibition. Marching orders 
however, had come this time, and at dawn we were 
in the saddle, packed and equipped for the march to 
Coamo. Then came the command to loosen girths — 
we were not to march yet. The day wore along till 
finally we heard "Unsaddle and place saddles in the 
rear of your horses and tie up to the picket line!" 
Then rumor ran swiftly — peace had been declared. 
Some pooh-poohed; many cried, saying, "I told you 
so." Later the rumor was confirmed — a Protocol 
had been signed. The first feeling that swept the 
camp was one of keen disappointment. To have 
waited so long and to have come so far and then to 



The Camp at Ponce 125 

just miss the chance of a fight after all was irony of 
fate indeed. Cool reflection has since modified that 
disappointment. 

New speculations now seized upon us. What 
should we do now, and what next after that? Would 
there be patrol duty? Should we reach home before 
Thanksgiving? Would not the President send us 
to New York at once? In fine, the immediate des- 
tiny of Troop "A," N.Y.V., absorbed our entire 
attention. 

In the idle hours of waiting that followed, a taste 
for gaming developed with mushroom rapidity. 
There were no books or papers to read; with- 
out, the sun was desperately hot, but under the 
friendly shade of the tents the poker games began 
to go merrily. At first there was a game or two in 
the morning after stables, then perhaps one or two 
after midday mess, then all day long they lasted from 
stables till tattoo, with time out for morning water 
call and mess, and afternoon water call and mess, and 
evening parade. A bale of hay covered with a shelter 
tent for a table, seats of upturned pails (when one 
could find that luxury), very much used cards, and 
copper and silver coins of Puerto Rico, completed 
the outfit. Each contained its own measure of tor- 
ture, but places in the games were at a premium. 
Then came the wheel to vary the monotony of the 



126 History of Troop "A" 

cards, and Troop "A" — warriors of renown — in the 
hour of peace returned to commercial pursuits. 

The Banos Minerales beyond the town were now 
filled every day, and the dining-room of the Hotel 
Francais every evening, with the troopers whose 
turn it was to go to town — and the turn came very 
often. We sat calmly at the same table with Briga- 
diers, Colonels and Commanders in the Navy, and 
ate before their envious eyes the delicacies that the 
well-tipped waiter set before us in dyspepsia breed- 
ing haste. Madame was very friendly, "A" troop- 
ers were steady patrons, and kept the waiters good- 
natured. 

Those whose day it was to stop in camp, the stern- 
browed Commissary Sergeant Ward fed sumptu- 
ously, now on hard kinds of things baked in rice, 
seasoned to the finest palate with curry; now on 
eggs scrambled with canned tomatoes, 'arf and 'arf; 
sometimes with squash and yams and fried bananas; 
on grand occasions with fried fish and melons (no 
second helping). Bread he gave us, too, and to 
those who could not live without them, beans 
("meaning me," says Ernie Thomson). Then there 
were boiled milk and boiled eggs for the sick 
men and for those a little under the weather — and 
for anyone else who could wheedle the hard-eyed sa- 
trap of the kettles. A dour man was he; but, allow- 




L>.-iail^B^eJ'llaUL.&. 



The Camp at Ponce 127 

ing for circumstances, he fed us well. May he 
never plead in vain for a second helping! At break- 
fast we could buy milk, as it was called, from milk 
venders who came to the border of the camp with 
their Httle cans, crying "Leche! Leche!" Nearly 
every day two women brought baskets of fruit, tiny 
strawberry bananas, the most delicious product of 
the island; mangoes, limes and, once, pineapples; 
and native men came with wooden trays of sweetish, 
insipid cakes and the same old "dulce coca." In the 
hot noonday, as we came back from water, a softly 
smiling but very canny half-breed stood at the gate 
selling lime ice dipped from an undersized freezer 
with a funny little scoop — cinque centavos the glass, 
a large thimble. Always at mess times a row of na- 
tives, old men and women, young ones, and children 
were ranged along the wire fence behind the 
kitchen, eager for any scrap of food that one might 
throw them. "Look here!" they cried in their pip- 
ing voices, "Look here! Look here!" They balked 
at nothing. Even the hard black things in the rice 
didn't quench their enthusiasm, and bits of hard- 
tack were gifts from heaven. 

When we had been in Porto Rico about two 
weeks it was found expedient to hire a small house 
in Ponce for the use of the sick of the Troop. Here 
the men were well cared for, receiving more atten- 



128 History of Troop "A" 

tion than would have been possible in the general 
hospital. Chic Childs and Jamie Clark were sent 
home on the Van Rensselaers' yacht, and Jack Iselin 
and Rob Barclay on the "Lydia;" H. Barclay, Line, 
Adee, Leigh, Bird, Cannon, Pinchot and Howard 
Kerner sailed later on the "Relief." 

The days passed, one very like another. Lieu- 
tenant Frelinghuysen and Sergeant Cromwell with 
their men were still in the interior; smaller details 
were scattered in various directions. Twelve men 
under Sergeant Phelps had just left camp for Utua- 
do, and the rest of the Troop had hardly finished its 
world-famed midnight gallop to Santa Isabel, when 
word came that Troop "A" was ordered home. 
The various absentees were telegraphed for, and 
they lost no time in getting into camp. Sergeant 
Phelps' detail coming all the way from Utuado in 
twelve hours. But there was no need of such speed. 
We did not leave Porto Rico until a week later. 

Everyone was looking for mementos to take 
home — sabres, Mausers, machetes, trinkets, but- 
tons; in fact, almost anything. Some got valuable 
relics — flags, guidons and beautiful decorations — 
for almost nothing. But the Porto Ricans were be- 
ginning to understand the situation, and were soon 
peddling Spanish ofificers' hats, chevrons, swords, 
buttons and what-not at fabulous prices. What 



The Camp at Ponce 129 

some men paid for buttons would have kept their 
throats moist at Sergeant Ward's Transport Bar 
Room and High Class Cafe all the way to New York. 
And as for the money paid for swords — it must have 
been pesos won at the gaming-bale. Cigars and 
cigarettes by the fifties and hundreds were bought; 
the factories were running overtime to fill orders. 
The purchases were packed in saddlebags and rolls. 
Many boxes were laid in the fine blue commissary 
chest. Of these some reached their owners, and 
others didn't. And thereby hangs a tale. 

One day a rumor drifted idly into^ camp that the 
horses were to be left in Porto Rico. To most of 
the men (the memory of the "Massachusetts" still 
rankhng) it seemed too good to be true. In the 
bosoms of others, however, it pricked the core of 
vanity. To become doughboys, indeed! The gods 
forbid! As the rumor grew in strength, hot waxed 
the argument. Finally a vote was polled, to take, 
or not to take the horses. The nays had it over- 
whelmingly, and so, of course, the horses were 
taken, and the "Just-like-the-regulars" had their 
way after all. 

On the night of September 2nd we were told that 
the next day we were to embark on the ''Mississip- 
pi," and that a start would be made at the peep o' 
dawn. At daybreak we were in the saddle, marching 



130 History of Troop "A" 

down the familiar Playa road for the last time. We 
reached the wharf just ahead of "C" Troop, and after 
a delay loaded our horses on an enormous lighter 
and our saddles and packs and stores on a smaller 
one. Most of the men went on board in the after- 
noon and chose snug places on deck to swing their 
hammocks. A detail of ten was left to load head- 
quarters horses. Lucky ones — how pleased they 
were ! At midnight, however, they, too, climbed 
on board, and slept where they fell. The next day 
they took what was left in the way of hammock 
room. 

Puerto Rico gave us a smiling farewell, as she had 
a smiling welcome. The sun sparkled as brightly 
on the water, and made as purple shadows on the 
lovely green hills; but we saw these things with 
different eyes. Our eager curiosity about the 
island, the people, the centipedes, the tarantulas, 
the rainy season, and all the other horrors enjoyably 
depicted in the Consular Report, not to mention 
the Spanish foe, had been more than satisfied. A 
few fortunate ones had, indeed, seen the swarthy 
Spaniard in his lair — and the Spaniard had seemed 
none the worse for the experience. All had learned 
that to be wet in Porto Rico is to be wet in a new 
way. And for the rest we watched, without a pang, 
Monita Island (whose imposing solitude so stirred 



The Camp at Ponce 



131 



our interest a short month since) slowly sinking be- 
low the horizon. Nay, the taut hammocks quivered 
with the shock as we roared the chorus of "Home, 
Boys, Home!" 




The Mess— A Mess 



James T. Terry. 

" Hear humankind responsive groan, 
Man cannot live by beans alone." 

— E. S. Martin (up to date). 

" Busy, curious, thirsty fly ! 

Drink with me, and drink as I ; 
Sip thou freely of my cup. 
Freely of my portion sup." 

T is a glorious thing to fight 
and die for one's country. 
The volunteer dashing to 
enlist thinks only of the val- 
orous deeds to be per- 
formed,, the reputation for 
heroism to be won, and the 
grateful glory of a trium- 
phant return. The prospect of what he must under- 
go before he becomes fit fighting material does not 
phase him — he never thinks of it until too late. 

When, last spring, with boundless enthusiasm we 
rushed into the breach, little did we think that in a 
few short weeks the joys of Delmonico's would seem 
an almost impossible dream, and even the glazed 
virtues of Dennett's a lost opportunity. 




134 History of Troop "A" 

Our friends have shown many marks of their ap- 
preciation of our virtues; but had they seen us day 
after day battHng for our lives with the rations it 
would certainly have enhanced the fame of our hero- 
ism. 

At home, as amateurs, we gloried in the skilful 
use of our sabres, were proud of our proficiency with 
revolver and carbine — but as real soldiers the arms 
upon which we most rehed were those trusty blades 
of sohd steel fitted with handles of iron and kept, 
when not in action, in small leathern sheaths. Ye 
gods, with these simple weapons what prodigies of 
valor were accomphshed! it is needless to say that 
those silver spoons with which, according to the 
press, we were all born, were not taken with us upon 
our glorious campaign. The knives of which I have 
spoken, forks of rude and simple construction, two 
oval tin plates, fitting one upon the other, one of 
them convertible into a miniature saucepan by 
means of an infolding handle, and a huge tin cup, big 
enough to serve as a wash basin, constituted the gas- 
tronomic weapons by means of which we did cur 
awful execution. 

The history of our struggle with the rations may 
be divided into five periods: — At Camp Black, at 
Camp Alger, the terrific contest on the "Massachu- 
setts," the campaign in Puerto Rico, and finally on 



The Mess — A Mess 135 

board the transport '"Mississippi." At Camp Black 
we were under the stewardship of the gallant Ser- 
geant Pellew, of whom it might be said that he 
floated into popularity on a wave of milk. Things 
were easy for him when it did not rain, but it rained 
a large part of the time. As long as we were still 
under State control our rations were varied and 
good. They were not, to be sure, served with all 
the daintiness to which we were accustomed at 
St. Andrews cofifee-stands, but they were palatable 
to hungry troopers and amply sustaining. How 
some wives, mothers or sisters would have mar- 
velled had they seen their captious critics at Camp 
Black lined up in the rain along a flat rail of dirty 
pine wood about six inches across, eating with 
rehsh, from tin plates, greasy codfish cakes, ham 
and eggs and dear old beans — always beans — and, as 
final relish, molasses dipped with an iron spoon out 
of a wooden pail and smeared over a slab of fried 
rice! With what mingled feehngs would they have 
observ^ed the simple method of washing the dishes ! 

With the passing of the troop from the service 
of the State to that of the nation, our rations, like 
our pay, became less liberal, and we fared as do the 
regulars. There is a fact not realized by our friends 
at home who try to supplement the soldier's bill 
of fare by donations of pies, cakes, candy, and even 



136 History of Troop "A" 

ice-cream, and that is that just as prize-fighters 
and football players must regulate their diet to get 
into condition for a contest, so must soldiers regu- 
late theirs in order to be fit for the work before 
them. At home we should prefer crisp, tender 
wafers to hardtack, but for fitting us to endure 
soldiering the army biscuit is better; it makes us 
long for the fray, inspired by the hope that life will 
soon be over. Under the fostering care of the com- 
missary, Walter Price, a canopy of barbaric splen- 
dor was raised over our devoted heads, so that we 
and the flies might more comfortably enjoy the 
luxury of the mess. At the conclusion of our 
feasts slaves, led by one 'Teekskill," hastened to 
cleanse our exhausted dishes. Such was the ad- 
ministration of this department that we flourished 
like the green bay tree. 

At Newport News we were almost too busy to 
eat, but once embarked on that good old tramp, the 
"Massachusetts," we realized how far we were from 
home and mother. Beans, bacon and hardtack — 
hardtack, bacon and beans; bacon, beans and bacon; 
hardtack, beans and bacon — such was the splendid 
variety of our fare. Water was so scarce that as a 
delicacy Stowe Phelps, that ferocious eater who had 
now assumed control of the destinies of the mess, 
gave us soup made of salt water, which was not a 



The Mess — A Mess 137 

success, though provocative of howls. At Puerto 
Rico fried plantains and tropical fruits added 
a dash of variety to our menu. During our stay 
on this hostile island we were exposed to a dead- 
ly peril from an unexpected quarter — we were at- 
tacked by canisters of alleged roast beef, more wide- 
reaching and penetrating in their destructive quali- 
ties than the dreaded Mauser bullets. Even the 
Puerto Ricans in their pilferings respected its char- 
acter so much that they refused to steal it. 

On the return trip on the "Mississippi," profiting 
by the experience gained on the "Massachusetts," 
that celebrated "delicatessen" Sergeant Harry 
Ward, and that notorious forager Corporal Arthur 
Brown, who had undertaken the enviable task of 
feeding the grateful troopers, prepared to seize all 
the laurels that could possibly be gathered in this de- 
partment. How well they succeeded could be told 
by a glance at the sleek appearance of Sergeant 
Ward on his arrival in New York. 

In ending my digest of this phase of our experi- 
ence it is gratifying to reflect that we enlisted with 
the expectant hope of braving danger — and — were 
not disappointed. 




SF-COND LIEUTKNANT jOSKI'll S. FK EI.INGHr VSKN 



1 



The 



Frelinghuysen Lancers 

Leland S. Stillman. 

" A rough, hard ride and a long, long way. 
And a call to arms at night ; 
Patrols and a truce that played the deuce 
With a long-expected fight." 

— The Lay of the Lorn Lancer. 

HE Troop had barely become 
settled in camp at Ponce, 
and the field was still a maze 
of dog tents, ammunition, 
canned goods, rapid fire 
guns and forage, when one 
evening a "pipe dream" was 
wafted through camp that a 
detail was to be sent on a 
mission tO' the interior, and 
would probably get into a scrap. The rumor grew 
with what it fed upon, and by the time its truth was 
definitely known imagination had mapped out all 
sorts of possibiHties in the way of military glory. On 
August 9th, just after mess, it was announced that 
the men who were to go were Lieutenant FreUng- 
huysen, Quartermaster Sergeant Bowne, Corporals 




140 History of Troop "A" 

Brown and Leigh and Privates Adee, Beales, Brad- 
ley, Clark, Dyer, Grannis, Henry, Pinchot, Reding- 
ton, Slidell, Stillman and Wallace. 

The next morning, at 6.45, the detail fell in in 
heavy marching order. All extra clothing and 
equipment were left at Ponce in case the detail did 
not return. A quick march to the Playa to report 
to Pleadquarters was followed by a tedious wait; 
about noon, the cavalcade started guarding a car- 
riage in w'hich was about $50,000, it was rumored, 
to pay of¥ the natives engaged in improving the 
road over the mountains. 

The road for several miles, or more than half the 
distance to Adjuntas, was finely macadamized and 
graded, and was built years ago by the Spaniards for 
military purposes. It led in a general northwesterly 
direction, winding around among the foothills and 
through sugar and coffee plantations. Presently 
there was an end of the good road, and from that 
point on there was no telling at what moment one's 
horse would stumble over a rock or mire in the 
treacherous-looking and innumerable mud puddles. 
It was just before leaving the good road that 
Henry's saddle slipped back and his horse took to 
bucking in true Western style, and, having left his 
rider by the wayside, bucked every step down the 
hill, nearly kicked all the "slats" out of a native, and 



The Frelinghuysen Lancers 141 

charged into a band at work on a curve in the road. 
They took to the woods Hke monkeys, and the horse, 
leaving a trail of cartridges, hardtack, saddle-bags 
and other outfit along the road, came to the main 
body and halted. 

Just beyond here Redington rode up and in- 
formed the "point" that they were to keep a sharp 
lookout, as a body of Spanish troops had been 
through those parts the day before. They loaded 
their pistols, and for three miles enjoyed the firm ex- 
pectation of being fired upon at any moment. Sud- 
denly, at a turn in the road, they saw far up on the 
hill what seemed to be an armed body, and word was 
promptly sent back tO' that effect. It turned out to 
be the Sixth Illinois and Sixth Massachusetts with 
their stores and ammunition on ox carts. The sight 
of two troopers looking for trouble in a country over 
which two thousand American troops had just 
passed was duly appreciated by the doughboy rear 
guard, who informed them as soon as they could 
speak that there hadn't been a Spaniard within thirty 
miles of the place for two weeks. 

It took an endless amount of time to get Captain 
Evans' carriage past the ox teams, many of which 
were stalled in the narrow road. It took them three 
days to go from Ponce to Adjuntas. Just before 
sunset the summit of the first ransre of mountains 



142 History of Troop "A" 

was reached, and the road led with many windings 
down into a valley to the town of Adjuntas, then held 
by a small force of General Henry's men, Company 
M, Nineteenth Regular Infantry. The picket line 
was stretched in the public garden of the town, and 
the men quartered in an old empty store house. It 
was alive with cockroaches as big as mice. The place 
had the virtue of being dry, at all events, for the 
tropical showers had been frequent from the time the 
first foothills were reached till late in the afternoon. 
Except for the cockroaches, glow worms and un- 
canny noises, the night was uneventful enough. Red- 
ington created a diversion by getting up about mid- 
night tO' swear at a crowd of jabbering natives across 
the street, and, in order to do it effectively, had un- 
fastened the heavy wooden shutters of a side win- 
dow. He was found later vainly trying to shut them 
again, afraid to let go with either hand for fear they 
would fall from the broken hinges, crash into the 
street and bring out a call to arms. 

One of several instances of the kind treatment 
shown to the troops occurred at Adjuntas when 
Lieutenant Helms, Nineteenth Infantry, shared his 
room with Dyer, who was about used up at the end 
of the day's ride. 

The next morning (August nth) the detail left 
Adjimtas, and after an eight hours' march through 



The Frelinghuysen Lancers 143 

more sugar and coffee plantations, relieved by a dip 
in the stream, arrived in sight of Utuado and the 
bridge over the Arecibo River just outside the town. 
Here the column was halted at the instance of Jamie 
Clark, one of the "point" that day, who came gallop- 
ing furiously back to inform Captain Evans that the 
bridge was guarded by Spanish troops. After a brief 
survey of the situation the order "Forvvard, March!" 
was given, and the detail, every man with his hand on 
his pistol, advanced slowly down the road, only to 
find the supposed enemy to be two Puerto Rican 
policemen, with antiquated muskets, guarding the 
bridge and delirious with excitement and delight at 
the arrival of more Americanos. 

The same pleasure and excitement attended the 
march through the town, men throwing up their 
hats and running wildly through the streets shout- 
ing "Puerto Rico Americano !" and women holding 
up their little naked brown babies to take in the 
sight. A rumor soon started to the effect that a 
force of Spanish troops were ambushed in the vi- 
cinity and intended to attack the town that night. 
Utuado was held at this time by General Henry 
with a company of the Nineteenth Infantry under 
Captain Smith, a detachment of Troop "B," Second 
Cavalry, and some Signal Corps men, and marked 
the limit of the American invasion in this part of 
the island. 



144 History of Troop "A" 

On account of the possibility of a night attack 
the detail was quartered in the old Spanish Civil 
Guard House, already comfortably filled by a de- 
tachment of Troop "B," Second Cavalry, and the 
picket line was stretched in the narrow street, on 
which the building faced. Of all the filthy, veno- 
mous places to pass a night, that old guard-house 
was probably the worst encountered by Troop "A" 
anywhere in the tropics or elsewhere. The stable 
yard in the rear was a foot deep in a vile smelling 
compound of mud, manure and stagnant water, the 
odor from which pervaded the whole region, and 
must have fairly reeked with germs of all the dis- 
eases that flesh is heir to. 

The men were allowed to take in the sights for 
a time after the horses were picketed and fed with 
the only kind of "long green" seen on the island. 
After mess, served, by the way, in the above men- 
tioned court yard, the guard was detailed and the 
rest of the "push" lay down wherever they could 
find room, which was scarce. Lights were extin- 
guished and snores beginning to be frequent, when 
Stillman was rudely brought out of the first stages 
of a heavy sleep by something on his face that 
seemed to cover it all at once. He made a pass at 
the thing in the dark, heard a dull, sickening thud 
against the opposite wall as "it" hit, and rose to in- 



The Frellnghuysen Lancers 145 

vestigate, only to find the whole floor alive with big, 
shiny, brown cockroaches fully three inches long. 

At twelve a rumble like distant artillery was heard 
in the hills, accompanied by a severe shaking of the 
building. Pinchot, who was on guard in the street, 
rushed in and informed Lieutenant Frellnghuysen 
that the Spanish had opened fire in the hills. The 
latter, half dressed and hatless, rushed out into the 
street yelling "To arms !" In about ten seconds the 
whole street was alive with men armed to the teeth 
and looking for all sorts of trouble. The Lieutenant 
was presently informed that it was only an earth- 
quake, and soon the men were sound asleep again. 
The incident was sufficiently exciting, however, for 
it was a midnight call to arms in the enemy's coun- 
try, on the firing lines, so to speak, and furnished 
the imagination with plenty of material for the time 
being. 

Excitement began very early next day, for a crowd 
of patriots had unearthed a number of Spaniards in 
the hills, and brought them captive into town with 
the avowed intention of massacring them all. They 
were so bent on this, and so excited over it, that it 
was necessary to disarm captors, as well as captives, 
and put both under guard. While this was going 
on in the town a nervous individual appeared with 
a machete on the pasture where the horses were 



146 History of Troop "A" 

picketed and vowed that he owned the earth with 
a fence around it, and that no horse, by "ginger 
blue," could be picketed on his ranch. After his 
wrath was spent from sheer fatigue it was gradually 
learned that a certain part of the field was not to 
be used for the horses by an agreement with the 
oflficers, and that one horse had overstepped the 
limit, and the error rectified, he at once became ex- 
tremely afifable and wanted to blow the whole crowd 
off to a drink. 

That night was spent in more comfortable quar- 
ters at the telegraph station, where the detail fell in 
with Lieutenant Patterson, or more properly speak- 
ing Lieutenant Patterson fell in with the detail, hav- 
ing been sent by General Henry to countermand 
the order to return to Ponce, which, it seems. Lieu- 
tenant Frelinghuysen had received; and August 13th 
orders came to saddle early and move out of town. 
Nobody knew our destination; some said home, 
others San Juan; but it was all guesswork. The de- 
tail moved out across the bridge by which the town 
had been entered and then down a side road, where 
a halt was ordered. This lasted till afternoon, when 
orders came to pitch camp. The spot selected, near 
the banks of a rushing stream, overhung in places 
by enormous clumps of bamboo, was one of the 
prettiest on the whole trip. Of course, a bath was 




2 9 

Q < 

w 

H 



The Frelinghuysen Lancers 147 

in order after the horses were picketed with lariats 
and the tents were set up in a field of sensitive plant. 
The path left by a man in walking through it re- 
minded one of that made by a mowing machine in 
a clover patch. 

Much comment on all sides was caused by the 
appearance that night of twinkling lights far 
up in the hills, suggesting signal-lights of the 
enemy, but it turned out afterwards that they came 
from native huts among the trees. Lieutenant 
Frelinghuysen had spent the afternoon construct- 
ing an elaborate palm leaf and bamboo affair to 
keep off the night air, and retired in all the state 
of an African prince, having given up his cot to 
one of the men who was sick. About midnight 
the whole edifice collapsed about his ears, and the 
Lieutenant rushed out in a towering passion and 
pajamas just in time to see the offender, a white 
pack mule, disappear in the fog and gloom. 

Orders came early on Sunday morning, the 14th, 
requiring ten men to escort Lieutenant Preston, 
of the Ninth Cavalry, under a flag of truce to the 
town of Ciales, situated about fifteen miles north- 
east of Utuado and then occupied by the Spanish. 
That meant that four men must be left in camp, 
and lots were drawn in fear and trembling. It fell 
to Adee, Clark, Henry and Stillman to hold the 



148 History of Troop "A" 

fort at Utiiado till the rest returned, and a more 
disgusted quartette can hardly be imagined. They 
sat around watching the others pack up and move 
out, and then retired to the shade of their respect- 
ive tents, "all wore down" and cursing and sweat- 
ing profusely. 

At about eleven that morning a troop of cavalry 
arrived on the scene and must have been sur- 
prised to see an army camp composed of two 
dog tents and four troopers. The latter lay and 
watched the proceedings till a number of familiar 
gray shirts roused them to a closer inspection. It 
turned out to be the rest of Captain Hoppin's 
Troop "B" of the Second Cavalry, with one of the 
rapid fire gun details from Troop 'A." The men 
were Sergeant Cromwell, Lance Corporal Satter- 
lee and Privates Smith, Crowell and Pierson. The 
troop had hardly unsaddled when a detail of four- 
teen men was called for to escort Lieutenant Ervin 
L. Phillips, Sixth Cavalry, on an expedition to 
Lares, a town of 18,000 inhabitants, about seven- 
teen miles northwest of Utuado, strongly fortified, 
and occupied by about eight hundred Spanish reg- 
ulars. Captain Hoppin very kindly told Cromwell 
that our nine men could form a part of the detail 
if they wished. The others were quickly chosen 
from "B" Troop, and by one o'clock the detail, un- 



The Frelinghuysen Lancers 149 

der the immediate command of Lieutenant Lock- 
ridge, was ready to start. 

The trail struck off into the hills to the north- 
west of Utuado, 'and soon became inarrow and 
stony or else covered with mud and water. In 
fact, Adee's horse fell, throwing its rider and 
covering them both from head to foot with a coat- 
ing of red mud. The horse, that wall-eyed old brute 
known as "Montana first," got up dead lame, and 
in consequence Adee was ordered back to Utuado, 
much to the regret of every one. As he was taken 
sick with typhoid two days later, his fall may be 
regarded as a dispensation of Providence, for he 
could never have been taken out over that trail 
alive. 

About sundown, after several halts to interview 
passing natives, the detail turned to the left from the 
trail and made camp in a grassy spot four miles from 
Lares. A compact had been made with the regulars 
by which they agreed to do the cooking and to 
water and feed the horses, while the "A" men were 
to do the guard duty. 

It was thought advisable to send a messenger to 
the Spanish Commander in Lares stating that under 
the terms of the Protocol the American troops were 
to occupy Puerto Rico and requesting him to evacu- 
ate. The messenger, a native, mounted his pony and 



150 History of Troop "A" 

disappeared in the dusk in the direction of Lares. 
About nine o'clock, someone with a voice Hke a fog- 
horn began to yell from up in the hills 'America!" 
'America!" It turned out to be the messenger, who 
had not cared to run into the sentries and had taken 
the precaution of disturbing the peace of the sur- 
rounding population before he made his appearance. 
Shortly after this Sergeant Ford, of Troop "B," told 
the men that the Lieutenant wanted to see them up 
by the camp fire. The officer's words were brief and 
to the point: — "The Spanish Commander refuses to 
recognize our flag of truce, and has not heard of any 
Protocol having been signed. I anticipate an attack 
to-night and wish you to sleep with your pistols and 
ammunition belts on and your carbines at your sides. 
In case a shot is fired I want you to join me instantly 
by that tree near my hammock." 

There wasn't much sleep left in the cowd. The 
Lieutenant posted a vidette guard, composed of 
Sergeant Cromwell, Smith, Henry and Pierson, in 
a clump of bushes a few hundred yards down the 
road, and a sentry posted in camp. Two men, with 
Sergeant Ford, shortened the horses' lariats and 
brought them closer to camp. The night was almost 
pitch dark and cloudy. A crowd of natives, who had 
followed along, were camped in the rear of the detail, 
and kept the sentry on the alert. The messenger 




z 

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H 

R o 



ai 



E 2 

■ H 



& o 

H O 



The Frelinghuysen Lancers 151 

had been put under arrest for safe keeping, and slept 
next to Ford, who was Sergeant of the guard. It 
was not what might be called a restful night. Satter- 
lee's nerves were so^ wrought upon by Cromwell 
when the latter waked him up at one o'clock to go on 
guard that he went out and challenged one of the 
pack mules. 

The nig'ht passed entirely without incident, and 
with nothing except the unusual sensations to make 
it memorable. Soon after dawn orders were given 
to break camp, and by sunrise the detail was con- 
tinuing its journey toward Lares. This looked in- 
teresting in view of the attitude of the Spanish the 
night before. The trail, if anything, was worse than 
on the previous day, and the horses' feet were already 
in bad shape. Suddenly, through a rift in the foliage, 
the white buildings of Lares came in view, and, just 
as the detail arrived at the foot of a steep rock hill 
and emerged from the woods, something else came 
into view, namely, the Spanish trenches thrown up 
on a hill about eight hundred yards on the right. A 
halt seemed to be in order. The Spanish could be 
seen distinctly moving around inside their earth- 
works, some in white helmets and others in little 
green caps. Presently, a flag of truce was stuck up 
outside their trenches, and Lieutenant Lockridge 
and his interpreter, also with a flag of truce, went 



152 History of Troop "A" 

ahead. He arrived at an understanding with the 
Spanish officer, who had received advices during the 
night from San Juan, and returned in about three 
hours. 

The detail now moved forward into the town. The 
Spanish had abandoned the trenches in which they 
had first been seen, and none were visible as the 
Americans, black and forbidding looking, in drip- 
ping ponchos, crossed the bridge at the foot of a 
steep hill and entered the narrow streets. These for 
a few minutes were deathly quiet, and then swarmed 
with natives as soon as the latter became assured of 
the peaceful character of our intentions. Traces of 
the Spanish occupation, however, were numerous in 
the rifle pits and barbed wire fences by which every 
road and alley leading up to the summit of the hill 
was blockaded. The only road available was one 
which the natives had just opened. 

The arrival of the first "Americanos" occasioned 
a wild demonstration, for Lares had been the Span- 
ish stronghold in that part of the island, and the 
natives had suffered accordingly. Nothing could 
exceed the enthusiasm which greeted the troopers 
on every side. The public school house, ''por ninos," 
adjoining the Cathedral in the centre of the town, 
had been cleaned and scrubbed out for the reception 
of the soldiers, and a private house just below placed 




■Tl [ij 






The Frelinghuysen Lancers 153 

at the disposal of Lieutenant Lockridge. The picket 
line was laid in the cathedral plaza, or terrace, and 
the tired beasts were soon knee deep in the long, 
fresh grass that a string of natives brought up and 
deposited there. The Cathedral, too, at the highest 
point and centre of the town, had been fortified as 
if for a last stand, and reminded one of a picture of 
Saragossa. The tiles of the plaza about the Cathedral 
had been torn from their places, piled up along the 
edge of the terrace and covered with sacks of earth 
and gravel, between which were left apertures for 
the Mausers; even the doors were protected by 
breastworks, and the towers were pierced with 
loopholes. 

The fellows lived on the fat of the land that day. 
It took some time, however, to get used to the sen- 
sation of being regarded as an animal in a cage. The 
population hung around outside in droves, staring 
with eyes and mouths wide open. One would think 
they would tire of it after a while, but those dagos 
would stand by the hour, some of them in exactly 
the same position, taking in everything. All the 
lame, halt and blind from the surrounding boroughs 
were brought in and deposited on the doorstep of 
the barracks— horrible cases of elephantiasis, tumor, 
epilepsy and very likely leprosy— until finally Dr. 
''Letch" Smith drove them off as a health precau- 



154 History of Troop -'A" 

tion. It was fully two days before the crowd around 
the school-house diminished to any appreciable ex- 
tent. A serenade by the most excruciating native 
band, which planted itself directly under our win- 
dows, was the feature of the first evening; it was 
well meant, but made night hideous, and the intense 
enthusiasm excited among the natives by the wild 
airs made a riot or outbreak of some kind seem 
probable. 

The detail occupied the town for three days. Dur- 
ing that time a patrol and sentry ("A" men exclu- 
sively) were kept on guard day and night, the for- 
mer to watch the natives and report any gathering, 
or put a stop to any demonstration that might be in 
process of organization. The feelings of the men, as 
they patrolled the dark, narrow streets at night in 
a town of that size, miles away from the American 
army, and not knowing whether or not treachery 
was at work behind the fast-closed shutters of those 
rickety old houses, can better be imagined than 
described. Pierson was accosted one night by an 
excited individual who stoutly maintained that a 
Spanish sympathizer was about to start on a tour of 
rapine and massacre, and demanded that he be taken 
out and shot. Pierson, with a great show of con- 
cern, accompanied the native to his house and put a 
red chalk mark on his door, assuring him that the 



The Frelinghuysen Lancers i^^ 

sign would protect him and his household from all 
troubles, and sent him on his way rejoicing. Several 
other false alarms of a like nature were given, but 
nothing serious happened within the patrol limits. 
Two Spanish sympathizers were killed in the sub- 
urbs, however, which tended to increase the appre- 
hension of trouble. The crowds about the barracks 
gradually diminished, and the people returned to 
their accustomed routine of life. 

A refreshing incident was the appearance in Lares 
of a Dr. Ascenjo, a Puerto Rican, who had grad- 
uated at a medical school in Brooklyn and who was 
full of interesting information. 

The second day was marked by the arrival in 
town of the former alcalde of the place, who had 
been exiled by the Spanish. The whole population 
was at his heels, once more wild with delight. His 
more intimate friends crowded about, kissing him 
and vicing with each other for the honor of holding 
his horse. 

On the afternoon of the third day, Wednesday, 
August 17th, hurry orders were unexpectedly re- 
ceived to saddle up and to keep all arms close at 
hand. The latter part of the order lent an air of 
distinct excitement to the occasion, and was quite 
a blow, for most of the men had made up their minds 
to a quiet stay in Lares till reinforcements arrived. 



156 History of Troop "A" 

However, in fifteen minutes the detail was ready 
to move out, and took the trail back in the direction 
of Utuado. It looked like a night march, but less 
than a mile outside the town Lieutenant Lockridge 
turned sharp to the right and entered a grassy lot, 
where camp was to be made. Before giving orders 
to unsaddle he called the men to attention and said : 
''I want you to know that the only reason we are 
leaving Lares is because I have received peremptory 
orders to go back to Utuado. I also want you to 
feel that I appreciate the excellent work you men 
have done on this trip, under most trying circum- 
stances. No soldiers in the world could have done 
it any better." 

No tents were put up that night, for the time was 
taken up after supper by a musical seance over the 
camp-fire till taps. Each man slept where his saddle 
dropped, and was up bright and early, ready for 
anything. 

The return to Utuado was about half accom- 
plished when at a turn in the road Lieutenant Fre- 
linghuysen and the Gales crowd rode up. They 
were on their way to Lares and other towns in the 
western part of the island as an escort to Lieutenant 
Preston, of the Ninth Cavalry. After an exchange 
of greetings and a brief consultation. Lieutenant 
Lockridge returned to Utuado with his interpreter 




W X. 



tJ < 



7. U 



The Frelinghuysen Lancers 157 

and the rest faced about and picked their way back 
to Lares, with the whole "A" detail reunited, ex- 
cept Jamie Clark, who returned to Utuado on ac- 
count of illness. 

The night was spent in Lares, and next morn- 
ing, Friday, August 19th, the detail departed 
for Las Marias over the vilest trail yet en- 
countered. It was "by trooper" all the way, and 
slow at that. At times the cofifee-bushes hung so 
low over the trail that it wa:5 a question whether 
horse or man could make his way through. At one 
time the report of a gun brought a sharp order to 
prepare arms for instant service, and a halt was or- 
dered until a reconnaissance revealed that it was 
some native shooting birds. The four men from 
"B" Troop had been left in Lares to garrison the 
town, but departed that morning by order of Lieu- 
tenant Preston, who was overtaken by a courier and 
told that the Spanish were coming back to Lares 
and refused to enter if any American soldiers re- 
mained. 

Las Marias was reached toward the middle of 
the afternoon, after fording a very deep and rapid 
stream, in which the pack mules had the worst of 
it. The banks of the stream on the farther side 
were strewn with band music, old helmets and other 
paraphernalia which the Spanish had abandoned on 



158 History of Troop "A" 

their retreat after the fight at Las Marias, and the 
battle-field, too, was suggestive of disaster, though 
it was several days after General Schwan's victory. 

Just outside of Las Marias the detail was halted 
by a provost guard of the Eleventh Infantry posted 
on a hill commanding the road, but the answer to 
the challenge, ''U. S. Troops, Lieutenant Preston 
and a scouting party," was satisfactory. No 
stop was made in the town, which differed, ex- 
ternally, in no respect from all the others, and 
the detail halted at an abandoned camp, about 
four miles farther on, where the mud was deep 
and sticky from the tramp of men and horses, 
and the grass had become a memory. It rained 
nearly all night, and the whole place was afloat. 
The entire time of the sentries was occupied 
in keeping the camp fire lit. Altogether the morn- 
ing dawned on as wet, dirty, cold and disgruntled a 
crowd as one would care to meet, and not till some 
hot coffee, served at a wayside inn, had gotten in its 
work and the sun had dried things up a little, did 
the spirits of the men begin to rise. The meeting 
with a battery of the Fifth Artillery struggling up a 
hill through six or eight inches of mud helped to 
make everybody feel things might be worse. 

Soon the muddy road ended; from that point to 
Mayaguez it was like the first part of the road out of 



The Frelinghuysen Lancers 159 

Ponce. It was not an unmixed blessing, however, 
for it meant a steady trot for five miles down hill 
and through the town. Once there, troubles 
were at an end for the time being. The horses en- 
joyed their liberty in the back yard of an old ware- 
house, which the men shared with a guard detail of 
the First Kentucky. Horses and property were put 
in charge of one man, the rest being left to their own 
devices. That meant a bath in the old-fashioned 
cement bathtubs at the Hotel de Paris, or in the 
dilapidated showers at the Spanish barracks, and a 
dinner and long smoke on the front porch, where 
officers and men mingled freely without distinction 
of rank. "Madame," who kept the hotel and spoke 
any language but English, showed an extraordinary 
amount of interest in the new arrivals and did much 
for their comfort. An informal banquet on Satur- 
day night, with speeches and much rude harmony, 
was a pleasant incident of the stay at Mayaguez. 
Lieutenant Preston, on being toasted, made a few 
happy remarks in regard to the spirit of discipline, 
which, to his surprise, seemed to pervade Troop 
"A." A long loaf on Sunday, spent by some in 
quizzing the fair ones, bedecked in lace, who ven- 
tured out without their duennas, and by others in 
visiting the Spanish barracks, where the First Ken- 
tucky had a lot of prisoners under guard, was 



i6o History ot Troop "A" 

brought to a hasty close by orders to saddle up 
about five P. M., and the seven mile trot that fol- 
lowed, the halt for a cup of coffee in a country store, 
and the night ride till two A. M. through darkness, 
rain and mud will remain long in the memory of 
those who had to go through it. The village of San 
German was passed about midnight. Two hours later 
the detail arrived at Sabana Grande, where the local 
police station had to serve again as shelter, and the 
horses had the whole corral behind to themselves. 
It was weary work dragging one's wet heavy equip- 
ment up those stairs and making a bed afterward 
at two A. M., but in fifteen minutes at most, every 
man was dead to- the world, the guard duty being 
left to a couple of Puerto Rican policemen. 

Up again at eight o'clock, a hasty breakfast, sad- 
dle up and forward, march! This time the trail 
struck up into the mountains from Sabana Grande, 
and the scenery was equal to any on the whole trip. 
As the top of the ridge was reached Playa de Ponce 
could be seen dimly, with the fleet of transports at 
anchor in the bay. On the summit the detail halted 
and interviewed a couple of Frenchmen who lived 
there in a hut, for God knows what reason, and 
whose sole offering in the way of refreshment on a 
hot day was some anisette strong enough to walk 
alone. They had not heard of the Protocol, knew 



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The Frelinghuysen Lancers 161 

only vaguely that there had been a war and appar- 
ently did not care. From the summit the trail 
wound down hill in frightful grades that used up 
the horses' feet fearfully. There will be horseshoes 
on that trail to arouse the wonder of the natives 
probably till the end of time, for it could not have 
been used more than twice a year. Getting the 
horses shod had caused no end of trouble during 
the whole trip, for few native blacksmiths had any- 
thing but small shoes for their own horses, and 
when they had, were so afraid of the cavalry horses 
on account of their size that it took about six men 
to accomplish it. This was so marked at Mayaguez 
that Pierson turned the owner of the shop out of 
house and home and spent all Sunday shoeing up 
the whole fifteen, and he did it well, too, considering 
the Hmited facilities. 

Lieutenant Preston was anxious to reach Adjun- 
tas that night, but we did not make it, and were 
forced to camp. The tents were pitched in a beauti- 
ful grassy field adjoining an old hacienda, and the 
tiredest crowd that ever lived slept the sleep of the 
weary that night. They had covered in the twenty- 
four hours since leaving Mayaguez what would be 
equivalent on the plains to a sixty mile march. An 
early start brought the detail in sight of Adjuntas 
about ten o'clock, August 23rd, when the officers 



l62 History of Troop "A" 

left at the junction of the road from Sabana Grande 
and Utuado and went to Adjuntas for orders. 

They came back about noon, and we went on to 
Adjuntas, arriving there at one o'clock. Shortly 
afterward a detachment of fifteen men from Troop 
"A," under Sergeant Phelps arrived. They were 
escorting Lieutenant Langhorne and guarding a 
large sum of money, which was being carried 
through to Utuado. It had been two weeks since 
we had seen any Troop "A" men, and it seemed 
like a meeting of long lost brothers. The night was 
spent in the old plaza in Adjuntas, where those who 
had enough energy left put up their dog-tents in the 
"card-board garden." 

The next morning, August 24th, at about seven, 
our detachment left Adjuntas bound for Utuado. 
It was rather a disgusted crowd, for most of us had 
visions of Ponce and an occasional rest, but about 
half way over, a native overtook the detail with a 
message to Lieutenant Frelinghuysen. It contained 
orders to return to Ponce to take the transport 
home. After three cheers for Lieutenant Preston, 
who kept on to Utuado, the crowd set up a howl 
of delight that must have startled the natives, and 
there was no lagging the rest of the day. A short 
distance back on the trail we met Lieutenant Lang- 
horne and Sergeant Phelps' detail, and notified them 



The Frelinghuysen Lancers 163 

of our orders to return at once to Ponce. Lieuten- 
ant Langhorne's instructions were to proceed to 
Utuado and it was, therefore, decided that his escort 
should go on with him. We said "Au revoir" to our 
comrades and wished them good luck, and then a 
long, fast march, trotting most of the way, up hill 
and down, brought the wanderers back to the fold 
at Ponce, which was a haven of refuge and rest from 
that time until we boarded the transport. 




Special Delivery 

Thomas Slidell. 

" And there was my Roland to bear the whole weight 
Of the news which alone could save Aix from her fate." 

— Robert Browning. 

T a very early hour the 
day after the Frehnghuy- 
sen Lancers had left Ponce 
I was awakened by some- 
one speaking my name. I 
sat up, rubbed my eyes, 
and recognized my Lieu- 
tenant. 

"Get on your clothes," 
he said. "I have something for you to do." 

Little time was lost in obeying his order, and in a 
few moments I was out of the barracks, trudging 
behind him, carbine and sabre in hand. The lieu- 
tenant left me at a small frame house, saying as he 
went away that I was wanted inside. 

I pulled down my blouse in the back, took off 
my hat, ran my fingers over my hair (more from 
habit than from any idea of improving its appear- 
ance), mounted the steps and entered a small room. 
It was quite dark, but at first glance I took in a 




i66 History of Troop "A" 

small table in one corner at which sat a general offi- 
cer busily engaged in writing by the aid of a candle 
stuck in a bottle. Stretched out on a sofa near him 
was a man sleeping, whom I surmised was one of 
the staff. 

It was several minutes before General Stone (for 
it was he) looked up from his work. When he did 
so 1 saluted, saying at the same time in a low tone, 
"Orderly, sir." 

"Step outside," he said, "I will be ready for you 
in a minute." 

He soon appeared carrying in his hand several 
large envelopes, which he instructed me to care- 
fully put away on my person and convey to General 
Miles with all haste. 

It was entirely too early to expect anything from 
the commissary, so I did the best I could in the way 
of breakfast by going over what was left from the 
night before, mounted my horse and headed for 
Headquarters. 

Several months had passed since I had been my 
own master, and to be once more free, so to speak, 
did not go unappreciated by me. When I got well 
into the country, however, an entirely new sen- 
sation began to come over me. It seemed very wild 
and lonely, and several times I caught myself look- 
ing back over my shoulder with more than common 



Special Delivery 167 

interest when a twig snapped, or a bird suddenly 
flew up from the roadside. This very uncomfort- 
able feeling soon passed away, however, and gave 
place to a much more happy condition of mind. I 
began to whistle and hum bits of song and, in fact, 
enjoyed life immensely. 

Since leaving Adjuntas I had been going on a fast 
trot and by noon had covered probably fourteen 
miles and was well into the mountains. Up to this 
tim.e I had not seen anyone. Making a sharp turn 
in the road, however, I suddenly came upon two 
natives who were engaged in wood chopping, using, 
in place of axes, long, heavy machetes. I drew rein 
as I saw them, they being about one hundred feet 
from me. They seemed quite as interested in me as 
I was in them, and a spirited conversation sprang 
up between them, interspersed with many gestures. 
Finally, one dropped his knife and, jumping the low 
log fence that separated us, approached me, making 
as he came wild gestures down the road and appar- 
ently much excited. To'this day I have been unable 
to form any idea as to just what the trouble was, 
but the native's extraordinary behavior had a very 
apparent effect on me, for soon I discovered myself 
indulging in the most frantic gesticulations and 
facial motions, first pointing down the road, then 
at my carbine and finally at myself, ending up with 



i68 History of Troop "A" 

the most furious noddings of my head— all of which 
the natives seemed to agree with perfectly. 

It soon occurred to me that nothing very definite 
could be gained by conversing with my newly made 
acquaintances, so I decided to ride on. Just before 
rounding a turn in the road I looked back and saw 
the men still gazing intently after me. The condi- 
tion of affairs did not strike me as particularly pleas- 
ing, but I could think of no way to improve them. 

After having gone about five hundred yards I de- 
cided that something ought to be done; moreover, 
I was approaching a particularly gloomy turn in the 
road. So, dismounting, I tied my horse to a tree, 
took my carbine from the boot, and began climbing 
an almost perpendicular slope which rose above me. 
Finally, I reached a place, probably two hundred 
feet above the road, which offered an excellent view 
of the surrounding country, particularly in the di- 
rection in which I was most interested; but, being 
unable to see anything, I again resumed my journey 
with very much the same feeling that one has when 
preparing for an ice-cold bath, and arrived without 
incident at Headquarters late that evening. 

The next morning found me again in the saddle 
heading northward, for Headquarters had given me 
despatches for the Sixth Massachusetts and Sixth 
Illinois, which I knew to be somewhere about Ad- 




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Special Delivery 169 

juntas. That night I slept by the roadside in a heavy 
rainstorm, having missed my way, and the follow- 
ing night I spent with General Henry's body-guard 
of regular troops. 

It was lonely work, and very glad was I to be able, 
by a lucky stroke,* to get safely out of the business 
and once more join the old camp and again hear the 
bugle-call which only a few days before I had so 
willingly left behind. 

* [Slidell (having decided that courier work was monotonous 
and wearing) was told by General Gilmore that when he went 
back he was to take certain despatches with him. Saluting, 
said Slidell, " Oh, but, General, I'm not going back." " Ah ! 
In that case," replied the General, " I'll get someone else." 
And Slidell went to camp and rested, rejoicing.— Eds.] 



The Ciales Expedition 

George O. Redington. 

" Says the Don, ' Go back; you're off the track.* 
Says Preston, ' Do not jolly ! 
'Neath this white flag don't chew the rag. 
You must have slipped your trolley.' " 

—Freely Translated. 

TUADO was not attacked by the 
Spaniards the night of August nth, 
1898, notwithstanding the supposed 
direct and accurate information re- 
ceived by the American officers, and 
despite the false alarm during the "wee 
sma' hours " occasioned by a slight 
earthquake; and it did not become 
necessary for seventy men, half a com- 
pany of the Nineteenth Infantry, fif- 
teen men from Troop "B," Second 
Cavalry, and fifteen men from Troop "A," to force 
back overwhelming numbers of the enemy. 

The following day our quarters were moved from 
the Guardia Civile barracks, where we had slept on 
our arms during the night, to the telegraph office. 
Three companies from the Nineteenth Infantry ar- 




iy2 History of Troop "A" 

rived and camped near the Arecibo River on the out- 
skirts of the town. There were increased rumors of 
an attack, but nothing occurred. Lieutenant Pat- 
terson, our own 'Tat," of General Henry's staff, 
came through wHth orders to await the General's 
arrival, and later, to the intense satisfaction of every 
man due to the prospect of immediate active ser- 
vice, we were transferred from General Miles's body- 
guard to General Henry's headquarters. 

General Henry reached Utuado the next day, 
leaving the balance of his brigade strung out a num- 
ber of miles back over the mountain road, and estab- 
lished his headquarters. It was said he issued orders 
for the Troop "A" detachment to leave the follow- 
ing morning to reconnoitre the Spaniards' position 
at the town of Lares, and it seemed that a few hours 
only would intervene before the Krag-Jorgensen 
carbines would have a chance at their outposts. 
That verv afternoon, however, news of the protocol 
was received, and consequently the Lares scouting 
trip was abandoned. About the same time the na- 
tives brought in stories to the effect that the Span- 
iards at Ciales had shot down in the streets of that 
town a number of men, women and children upo^n 
almost no provocation whatever. General Henry 
immediately ordered that ten men from our cjetail 
proceed to Ciales under a flag of truce to notify the 



The Ciales Expedition 173 

Spaniards of the protocol, present to them a copy 
of the proclamation which had been promulgated 
by General Henry and investigate as far as possible 
what foundation, if any, there was for these rumors. 
As at this time there were fourteen men in the 
detachment it became necessary to draw lots to see 
which four should remain. This was done, and 
'Tete" Stillman, George Adee, "Jamie" Clark and 
Horace Henry drew the short straws. The trip was 
to last three days, and the two "mule skinners," Jim 
Ross and Ed Anderson, were to go along with six 
pack mules to carry the tent-rolls, provisions for the 
men and feed for the horses. 

On the morning of August 14th the expedition 
got under way, consisting of First Lieutenant Pres- 
ton, Ninth Cavalry, representing General Henry, 
Second Lieutenant Frelinghuysen, Sergeant Frank 
Bowne, Corporal '"Foxy" Leigh, Corporal Arthur 
Brown and Privates Rowe Bradley, Gus Wallace, 
Amos Pinchot, Jack Grannis, "Jimmie" Beales, Ly- 
man Dyer and George Redington. In addition to 
these were Ross and Anderson with the pack mules. 
We had proceeded about half way through Utua- 
do when there came dashing up, mounted on fiery 
Httle native horses, eight or ten Puerto Ricans, one 
of whom was to act as our guide and interpreter. 
They immediately demanded a supply of arms that 



174 History of Troop "A" 

they might assist in annihilating the large force of 
Spaniards holding Ciales. The interpreter looked 
at the handful of men behind Lieutenant Preston 
and asked if they were all he intended bringing, say- 
ing they were insufficient for the purpose, but the 
interpreter was assured that no more men were 
needed, and was also informed that he and his com- 
rades would not be furnished with arms. After a 
short confab the expedition finally got under way. 

Just outside of the town a halt was made, while a 
suitable pole was cut, to which was attached a large 
white towel belonging to "Foxy" Leigh; this served 
as a flag of truce. The march throughout the day 
was very severe on the horses, as we proceeded 
along a mere mountain trail, which was very rough 
and steep most of the time. It often became abso- 
lutely necessary to dismount and assist the horses in 
scrambling up the more difficult places. 

During the afternoon the detachment passed 
through the town of Jayuya. Our reception was 
tremendous in its enthusiasm, and every step of the 
way was like that of a triumphant march. The peo- 
ple crowded up to the sides of our horses yelling at 
every other breath "Viva los Americanos !" "Puerto 
Rico Americano !" It was as though we had come to 
deliver them from slavery and the most oppressive 
bondage. The Alcalde and other authorities of the 



The Ciales Expedition 175 

town urged that we remain and accept of their hos- 
pitality, but Lieutenant Preston said that we must 
press on, and we did so. This town had but a few 
hundred population, but its people created a demon- 
stration never to be forgotten. All along the trail 
it was the same story to a greater or less degree. 
We were the first Americans to pass through that 
region, and the natives' admiration and welcome 
appeared unlimited. They seemed to think that our 
few men were going to drive the Spaniards to the 
north coast and into the sea with but a single efifort, 
and that thereafter they were to be free from the 
hated Spanish. All through the mountains are scat- 
tered squalid huts, in which live one or more families. 
The huts themselves are small thatched affairs, 
generally having one room, and only two or three 
at the most. They are furnished with barely more 
than a wooden table and a few rough chairs. Several 
generations seem to be represented in each hut, and 
what they do for a living and how they exist is 
almost beyond comprehension; it would be hard to 
conceive of human beings in these modern times 
existing in a more primitive condition. Occasionally 
a profitable appearing coffee plantation or fruit farm 
will be seen, but these are few and far between, 
especially in this section of the island. 

Finally, just as it v>'as growing dark, we camped 



176 History of Troop "A" 

on the top of a high mountain, and, after a welcome 
mess of hardtack, bacon, coffee and fried green ban- 
anas, we crawled into our "dog" tents, leaving one 
sentinel posted, with special instructions to see that 
the flag of truce did not blow down. In the morning 
as soon as it was light, all were up preparing to get 
an early start. 

The forenoon of the second day was practically a 
repetition of the first day's march. We were joined 
by a couple of hundred native men, women and 
children, who had fled from Ciales, and, as we pro- 
ceeded, this number constantly increased. These 
people were anxious to return to their homes under 
our protection, and they all told incredible stories of 
killing and looting by the Spaniards. The trail was 
even worse than the day before, and on one occasion 
Lieutenant Preston, who has been all through the 
West, and who was on the recent government relief 
expedition to the Klondike, remarked, "I have been 
on a great many trails in my day, but this beats any- 
thing I have ever seen." 

We approached Ciales about one o'clock. By this 
time there were three or four hundred natives ac- 
companying us on every side, some on the little 
horses, but the great majority on foot. They were 
constantly chattering with one another, cheering us 
from time to time, and making a great hubbub in 



The Ciales Expedition 177 

general. As we neared the town, Lieutenant Preston 
ordered the natives to maintain absolute silence, and 
he took the further precaution, which subsequent 
events proved to have been most fortunate, to send 
on a messenger to notify the Spaniards that we were 
coming under a flag of truce, and at the same time 
to deliver to them a copy of General Henry's proc- 
lamation. This also gave the Spaniards an abun- 
dr.nce of time in which to prepare to meet us in any 
manner they might choose, an opportunity of which 
they took immediate advantage. 
^ At last, while descending a long, gradual hill, the 
sides of which rose up almost perpendicularly on 
either hand to a height of eight or ten feet, and just 
as we were within about a hundred yards of a curve 
in the road, we came upon two Spanish sentinels, 
who ordered us to halt and started running in our 
direction. We halted. Lieutenant Preston, who 
was in advance, called back, "Get ready, boys; I 
think we are in for it!" at the same time reaching 
for his pistol. However, he told the interpreter to 
inform them that we were under a flag of truce and 
were there to consult the Spanish officer. The men 
stopped, removed the bayonets from their rifles and 
put them in their belts, but their pieces were allowed 
to remain cocked. The soldiers then came up to 
within a convenient speaking distance. They were 



iy8 History of Troop "A" 

very much excited. Lieutenant Preston, talking at 
all times through the interpreter, asked them who 
their officer was. One pointed to the sergeant's 
chevrons on his arm and said that their officer was 
not at hand. Lieutenant Preston said that he could 
not talk to the Sergeant, that he must go back and 
tell his commander to come and meet the American 
officer half way between the lines. This the man did, 
and shortly afterward Lieutenant Pedro Ladesma 
came riding around the curve in the road, accom- 
panied by two civilians. 

Lieutenant Preston, with the interpreter at his 
side, and with Corporal Leigh directly behind him 
holding the flag of truce, rode forward and met the 
Spaniard about one hundred feet in front of our de- 
tachment, and there held a consultation. The two 
civilians, who we afterward learned were soldiers in 
disguise, stood on either side of the road but a few 
feet away with cocked Remington rifles in their 
hands. Ladesma himself had drawn his pistol 
from its holster and had it cocked and thrust in the 
pommel roll near where his right hand rested. In 
addition to these men there were four soldiers, 
who advanced and stood near by. All had their 
pieces cocked. Back at the head of the road 
a half dozen others, fully armed, took position 
facing us. 



The Ciales Expedition lyg 

After shaking hands with Ladesma, Lieutenant 
Preston dehvered to him a copy of the procramation 
and said that he was sent to inform them of the 
protocol and that hostihties had ceased. Ladesma 
stated that he had heard nothing of the protocol 
from his government, and could take no notice of 
it until he did. Lieutenant Preston asked if we 
could enter the town, and he said "No." Lieuten- 
ant Preston also asked suddenly what had happened 
two days before. At this question both the civilians, 
Ladesma and one of the men began talking very 
volubly and excitedly, during which the interpreter 
gathered that there had been some trouble between 
the Spaniards and the natives upon the re-entry of 
the former, they having left Ciales several days be- 
fore and returned, and that a few inhabitants and 
soldiers had been hurt. Lieutenant Preston was 
finally informed that there had been some trouble, 
but nothing serious. 

When asked if anyone had been killed, they all 
shook their heads vehemently and said ''No." Lieu- 
tenant Preston then wanted to know if the resi- 
dents who had followed us back could be allowed 
to enter the town and return to their homes un- 
molested. The Spanish officer said "Certainly," and 
the interpreter informed the crowd that they could 
go in without us. None of the crowd, however, 



i8o History of Troop "A" 

showed aiiy desire to take advantage of this per- 
mission and none of them went. 

As a strange coincidence, while the consultation 
was taking place an orderly galloped up to the Span- 
ish officer and handed him certain papers. Ladesma 
read them and shrugged his shoulders. In response 
to a question, he said they were nothing. Never- 
theless a copy was given to Lieutenant Preston and 
the interpreter attempted to read them, but he did 
not seem able to make them out readily, and it was 
not until night by the camp-fire that they were read. 
They proved to be notice of the protocol and in- 
structions to the Spaniards to turn in their arms 
within a certain time. Lieutenant Preston again 
requested that we be allowed to enter the town. 
Ladesma said that if we wanted to wait for five or 
six hours he would send to his superior officer and 
find out whether or not it could be allowed, but he 
could not take the responsibihty personally. This 
ended the interview, Ladesma shaking hands with 
Lieutenants Preston and Frehnghuysen, the latter 
having ridden up meanwhile. The Spanish officer 
was a very disagreeable and treacherous looking 
man. The interpreter and others said that he had a 
very bad reputation throughout the island. 

During the conference our detachment was stand- 
ing in column of twos, and we had been instructed 



The Ciales Expedition 181 

what to do in case of an emergency. Lieutenant 
Frelinghuysen had ordered Ed Anderson to hold all 
the horses in the event of an order to dismount and 
fight on foot or deploy as skirmishers. This did not 
appeal to Anderson's fighting blood, and Jim Ross, 
his companion, came forward and said in a respect- 
ful manner, "Ed wants to know if the natives can't 
hold the horses, as if there is going to be any amuse- 
ment he would Hke to be in it." These two "mule 
skinners" were true Western cowboys; they had 
served in the United States Cavalry against the In- 
dians, had been "cow-punchers" a greater part of 
their lives and had been to the Klondike. Ross, in 
addition, was a good deal of a pugilist, having en- 
countered nearly every one of note in the West, and 
at one time holding the championship of the Navy 
for several years. 

After Lieutenants Preston and Frelinghuysen 
had shaken hands with the Spanish officer the order 
was given, "Twos, left about, march !" and the re- 
turn trip was begun. Sergeant Bowne and Private 
Beales acted as rear guard. At this point it was 
developed that during all this time the little detach- 
ment had been thoroughly ambushed, for as we 
started back, and after the main body had gotten 
beyond a curve three or four hundred feet from the 
halting-place, the rear guard, in looking around, as 



l82 History of Troop "A" 

they did continually for fear of treachery, saw a 
large number of Spaniards coming down from posi- 
tions where they had been concealed on either side 
of the road. There had been ample time to arrange 
this ambuscade, as the messenger sent on ahead had 
preceded us by a full half hour. 

The holding up of the detail in a place that could 
not have been better adapted for an ambush, and the 
secret concealment of men where, at one volley, they 
could have completely wiped it out, were planned 
with sagacious cunning. There is no doubt that the 
least hostile move, or any other possible excuse, 
would have caused serious trouble for those few 
men a day and a half's march from the nearest 
American soldier. The whole treatment of the flag 
of truce was outrageous, and had there been a less 
cool and experienced officer than Lieutenant Pres- 
ton to deal with the situation the outcome might 
have been very different. 

Nothing occurred throughout the balance of the 
day, and so far as we know the Spaniards did not 
follow us. The number of natives began to increase 
still more, as a great many along the road packed 
up what few possessions they could and proceeded 
to get farther away from the Spaniards. They were 
in great fear, despite our assurances that the war 
was over. 



The Ciales Expedition 183 

We arrived that night at half-past six on top of 
the same mountain where we had broken camp in 
the morning. The men had been in the saddle con- 
tinuously for eleven hours and a half without dis- 
mounting, except occasionally to rest the horses and 
to help them over the especially difficult parts of 
the trail. 

August 1 6th we returned to Utuado, arriving 
there early in the afternoon. Several miles out from 
the town we met Lieutenant Patterson and a detail 
of four regulars from Troop "B" on their way to 
Jayuya, General Henry having received reports that 
brigands were terrorizing the whole neighborhood. 
"Pat" was sent to investigate. He found that two 
such bands had been through a short time before, 
but that the Alcalde and residents had treated them 
with so much tact and hospitality that the outlaws 
had gone on to other fields. While this detail was at 
Jayuya news came in that the Spaniards were on 
the way there from Ciales. "Pat" thereupon, after 
sagely advising the Alcalde to protest against the 
Spaniards' advance as a violation of the protocol, 
gathered his men around him and retired in good 
order to report to his General. The rumor, by the 
way, proved unfounded. 

At Utuado we found that the men whom we had 
left there three days before with the exception of 



184 History of Troop "A" 

Adee, together with Seymour Cromwell's gun detail 
of five men and a few from Troop "B," all in com- 
mand of First Lieutenant Lockridge, Troop "B," 
had gone to Lares. 

We remained in Utuado the next day, and then 
General Henry ordered that we start out on a seven 
days' expedition, going first to Lares and then to 
the western coast of the island. This would bring 
us in contact with General Schwan's brigade, for 
whom we had despatches. His command was w^ork- 
ing eastward from Mayaguez. 

August 1 8th an early start was made. We left 
George Adee ill with fever at the hotel in Utuado in 
care of Amos Pinchot; Amos' father, as soon as the 
protocol was signed, had obtained his discharge 
through the War Department, and on our return 
from Ciales notice was received of it. 

The first day out, when about half way between 
Utuado and Lares, we met Lieutenant Lockridge's 
detail returning. The Troop "A" men joined our 
detachment, with the exception of "Jamie" Clark, 
who was quite ill, and returned to Ponce by way of 
Utuado; and the subsequent trip was taken together. 



Detail to Guayama 

Fritz W. Hoeninghaus. 

" Take a hen to her chickens; 
Take an officer to his men ; 
Take a soldier to the front." 



-Proverb. 



N the night of August nth, 
about midnight, McGusty 
and I were notified by the 
first sergeant to report at his 
tent at half-past six A. M. in 
heavy marching order, with 
one hundred and fifty 
rounds of carbine and fifty 
rounds of pistol ammuni- 
tion, besides five days' ra- 
tions. This sounded inter- 
esting, and, of course, I hazarded all sorts of con- 
jectures as to what was up, all of them being wide of 
the mark. Promptly on time Sergeant Moen, after 
inspecting us, told us to report to Sergeant Dyon, of 
Troop "B," Second Cavalry. This we did, and 
found that our detail (Mac and myself and two men 




i86 History of Troop "A" 

from Troop ''B") was to go down to the Playa first 
and meet Captain Scott. We were to escort him 
to Guayama, where Troop "H," Sixth Cavalry, to 
which he had been assigned, was stationed. We 
started from Playa about ten A. M., with Captain 
Scott travelling on the mule wagon, which contained 
the rations and hay, as he had been unable to get a 
horse. We lost our way several times in trying to 
get on the main road, but struck it right at last. 
About five miles outside of Ponce we picked up a 
native who was bound for Guayama. Captain Scott 
thought he would make a good guide, but he turned 
out to be densely ignorant, and even when he did 
know anything he did not seem tO' have sense enough 
to tell it. On this day's march we passed through 
Santa Isabel and Salinas, and pitched camp on a 
sugar plantation, some distance beyond the latter 
village, with a good twenty-five miles to our credit. 
Captain Scott worked the deal so as to get a bed in 
the planter's house, and was very considerate of us 
(as most regular army officers are of their men), hav- 
ing coffee made in the house and buying milk, sugar, 
eggs, bread, &c., for us. The natives here were 
numerous and dirty, and manifested a great deal of 
interest in all we did. I remember my amazement 
at seeing a girl baby, not more than three years old, 
pick up the butt of a cigar I had thrown away and 



Detail to Guayama 187 

calmly smoke it like a connoisseur, her mother sit- 
ting by with never a word of protest. 

Next morning we made an early start and reached 
Guayama shortly after one o'clock. About half an 
hour afterward we saw the troops coming in that 
had been out to give battle to the Spaniards. Among 
them were the City Troop of Philadelphia and those 
dashing young lieutenants, Jim Darrach and Winnie 
Hoyt. They had not had a fight that day, for just as 
the American artillery was about to open fire an aide 
galloped up and announced the signing of the Peace 
Protocol. We pitched our dog-tents over with the 
Sixth Cavalry, and rested there until Monday morn- 
ing. The members of the City Troop were most 
kind and hospitable, and we were indebted to them 
for several very good meals during our stay. While 
strolling around the town on Sunday we met that 
erstwhile gallant trooper, Ervin Wardman, and ob- 
tained some valuable information from him regard- 
ing the location of the leading hotel. I forgot to 
mention that the native whom we picked up the first 
day stayed with us till the end, and made a most 
valuable body servant and valet to Mac and me. 
Early Monday we set out on our homeward journey, 
and returned as we had come, in two days, camping 
over night at the same sugar plantation. That night 
we had the only scare of the trip. The natives 



i88 



History of Troop "A" 



warned us that the proprietor was a Spaniard, and 
had a house full of that breed with him, and that 
they might harm us. We kept a strict watch, and 
nothing more alarming than a stray cow now and 
then came along to shake our nerves. I cannot speak 
too highly of the sand shown by McGusty on this 
trip. Though he was very sick much of the time he 
insisted on doing all his share of the work and taking 
his turn on guard with those of us who were well. 
More than that, he kept our spirits up by his cheer- 
fulness and made a very pleasant trip out of our 
uneventful ride. 





CAFF. AT THE PLAVA 




Sl'AMSH I'KISONERS TAKING THEIR DAILY WALK UNDER 
GUARD OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS— PONCE, P. R. 



The Capture of Coamo 

John C. Breckenridge. 

" Now, who will stand on either hand 
And cross the bridge with me? " 
Then spake the Quartermaster, 
Of Blue-grass stock was he : 
" Lo ! I will ride on thy right side, 
And take the town with thee." 

— Horatius at Coamo. 

OAMO, a sleepy old Span- 
ish town of about five thou- 
sand inhabitants, lies on the 
great military road, which 
runs from the coast on the 
south to the coast on the 
north, just at the southern 
side of the chain of moun- 
tains which run across the island from east to west. 
It is the intersecting point of the military road, 
which runs in a northeasterly direction with another 
road which runs in a northwesterly direction, the 
two gradually converging toward the pass through 
which it is necessary to go to reach the summit of 
Assomanti Mountain, where the Spaniards were 




190 History of Troop "A" 

strongly intrenched. These two roads form an acute 
angle of about eighty degrees, the military road 
skirting certain foot-hills on its western side, the 
other road bordering certain hills on its eastern side, 
the intervening territory for several miles south of 
Coamo being a comparatively open plain. 

On the morning of August nth, 1898, Major 
General James H. Wilson, commanding the First 
Division of the First Army Corps, was encamped 
with 3,000 infantry, a battery of artillery and a troop 
of cavalry, on the military road, about four miles 
south of CoamO'. His general orders were to advance 
straight along this road, and, doubling up the Span- 
iards in front of him, to continue until the grand 
objective point, San Juan, should be reached. The 
Spaniards occupied Coamo and had outposts thrown 
along the military road for several miles to the south, 
which was protected by hastily thrown up breast- 
works. The other road was commanded by a block- 
house, about a mile to the southeast of the town, and 
the two roads together effectually commanded the 
intervening plain. 

About two o'clock in the morning Colonel Biddle, 
of General Wilson's staff, following a carefully re- 
connoitred route, led the Sixteenth Pennsylvania, 
by a wide detour, to the northwest, for the purpose 
of striking this military road a short distance to the 



The Capture of Coamo 191 

north of Coamo and preventing any retreat from 
that place to the Spanish fortifications established 
on Assomanti Mountain. This move was made suc- 
cessfully, and without giving warning to the Span- 
iards encamped in and near Coamo, 

Several hours later the Second and Third Wiscon- 
sin regiments, supported by the artillery, moved 
directly up the centre of the valley to a point about 
two miles south of Coamo. The plan was to force the 
Spaniards through the town of Coamo and under 
the guns of the Pennsylvanians, who were waiting 
above. The artillery, from a position on the right of 
the line, opened fire on the blockhouse on their 
right, which was only feebly returned, and after a 
few minutes the blockhouse was in flames, and the 
Spaniards were seen to be retreating hastily into the 
town. Tlie infantry was then deployed substantially 
across the plain, and, preceded by a strong line of 
skirmishers, advanced cautiously toward the apex 
of the triangle, where the town itself is situated. 

Two members of the stafT of General Wilson, of 
whom the writer was one, were riding with the 
skirmish line, and accompanied it as far as the south- 
ern bank of the creek, which crossed the plain from 
east to west. The bridge crossing this had been 
destroyed by the Spaniards as they retreated, and as 
the sides were very deep and precipitous, the skir- 



192 History of Troop "A" 

mishers paused for a few moments. We finally found 
a place where we could lead our horses across, and 
then remounting we turned into the road again. 
There we were joined by Captain Paget, of the Eng- 
lish navy; Richard Harding Davis, and one or two 
other correspondents. Forming in column of twos, 
we left the American lines and started toward the 
city on a fast trot. The road at this place wound like 
a snake round about the foot-hills, so that it was im- 
possible to get a long view ahead. Suddenly we 
came full upon an abandoned Spanish breastwork. 
By this time we were far in advance of the Ameri- 
can lines, and yet had not seen any retreating 
Spaniards. 

Shoving our horses over this, we became en- 
thused with the excitement of the moment and 
broke into a gallop, until, suddenly, we rounded a 
curve and, jumping another breastwork, found our- 
selves on the very outskirts of the town. It pre- 
sented the appearance of being totally abandoned. 
The streets were torn up in several places, and great 
pipes were thrown across, as if hastily devised means 
of resistance had been attempted and abandoned. 
The houses were closed, not a head was to be seen 
anywhere, and suddenly realizing that we were the 
first Americans to reach this objective point we let 
our horses out at full speed, and had a joyous race 



The Capture of Coamo 193 

from one end of the town to the other. There we 
were immediately surrounded by a clamoring lot of 
obsequious and insincere natives, who tried to sur- 
render the town to us, to force us to drink all sorts 
of strange Porto Rican liquors, and even produced, 
with the greatest pride, one or two brands of Ameri- 
can beer. 

Mr. Davis jokingly claims that WE captured 
the town, though he says he is willing to admit, 
owing to his great candor, that perhaps some credit 
should be given the several thousand American 
troops that participated more or less directly in 
the movement. Within fifteen minutes the Six- 
teenth Pennsylvania appeared on the brow of a hill 
three hundred yards away and, not knowing that we 
were Americans, jumped for cover and prepared to 
fire. We improvised a wigwag and, finally reassur- 
ing them, they came into town, bringing with them 
substantially all the Spaniards who had a short time 
before been occupying the town and the two roads. 
The Pennsylvania fellows had suddenly met the 
Spaniards within a few minutes in full retreat 
toward the pass. There was a lively exchange of 
volleys for a few moments, but the Spanish com- 
mander, having invited death, met it, and the result 
being beyond doubt, those remaining very wisely 
surrendered. 



194 History of Troop "A" 

About the same time General Wilson and the 
Wisconsin regiments came up from the south, thus 
completing a movement which was executed liter- 
ally as planned, and with perfect success. 




Baggage Detail to Coamo 



Robert Emmet. 



" Yes, I know the war is overj 
And you know the war is over; 
But does the dog know it? " 



■Hurly Burly. 



•O 00900000000Q 



N Saturday, August 13th, I was put 
in command of the following detail: 
Privates Conrow, Chapman, Coyne, 
Drake, Emmet, Hall, Heaton, Lee, 
Pierce and Ouinby, given ten days' 
forage and rations, ammunition ga- 
lore and ordered to report at once at 
General Miles's headquarters for fur- 
ther instructions. About four in the 
afternoon we were set to loading 
headquarters wagons with commis- 
sary stores, tents, etc., and at 5:30, with a United 
States artilleryman added to the detail, we received 
orders to march. Colonel Michler, of General 
Miles's stafif, who was in charge, preceded the party 
at a rapid gait in an army ambulance, leaving us to 
manage as best we could. 

Where to march, how far to march, where to halt 




196 History of Troop "A" 

for supper, etc., we did not know, but we were all 
impressed with the idea that a very short distance 
would bring us into the enemy's country and that 
we might be exposed to an attack from Spanish 
irregulars at any moment. To add to our interest 
it became rapidly dark and the mule drivers tried to 
work the young sergeant and get drunk at the first 
halt — they remained sober, though far from gra- 
ciously. We thought we kept the Coamo road, or 
Camino real, by calling out "Coamo! Coamo!" to 
every dusky shape that flittered by in the darkness, 
little suspecting at the time that the road was al- 
most without forks or crossings and that to have 
left it, without being aware of the fact, was an 
impossibility. 

Ten o'clock came and no word from Colonel 
Michler; half-past and the mules were getting very 
leg-weary. About this time we reached the crest 
of a steep hill with a sharp turn at the bottom; the 
first wagon was already on the descent when the 
"point" reported the bridge at the bottom had been 
partly destroyed. The wagon leading, its six mules 
too tired to hold back, came down the hill on the 
run, swinging out of the shadow of the overhang- 
ing trees into the starlight, it rattled over the 
bridge, without parapets and little over a foot to 
spare on either side of the hubs between them and a 



^^SS^S^ Detail to Coamo 197 

drop of nearly a hundred feet to a rocky stream-bed 
below. It speaks well for the army drivers and the 
government mules that all four wagons got over 
in safety at the same break-neck speed, for many a 
crack four-in-hand driver and thoroughbred leader 
might have lost his nerve, and with it his life, at that 
turn. 

Suddenly, at eleven o'clock, a challenge rang out 
from the darkness, startling us all and bringing the 
party to a halt. It proved to be a United States 
sentry with directions from Colonel Michler for us 
to camp there for the night. The post was at a 
Spanish section house, used originally by laborers 
working on the road, and here it was we first learned 
of the Protocol which had that day put a stop to 
hostilities. Very tired and hungry we parked the 
wagons on the side of the road, watered, led and 
turned out our horses, then after a delicious Del- 
monicoesque supper, cooked on the road-side, we 
rolled up in our blankets on the brick porch of the 
section house and slept the sleep of the tired soldier. 
Except for the new sentry, called every hour, I 
doubt if a man of the squad rolled over till aroused 
at five-thirty by the heartless sergeant. 

About seven-thirty we broke camp and began our 
six mile march to Coamo, perched high on its hill- 
top, then down the steep slope to the river beyond 



198 History of Troop "A" 

and across it to the enclosure occupied by General 
Wilson, where we were assigned to a camp. 

Coamo was in great excitement over the recent 
Spanish evacuation and people were coming in from 
the outlying districts to re-open their houses and 
stores. Business was being resumed, though the 
streets were still barricaded in places with iron sewer 
pipe, where the Spanish had perhaps persuaded 
themselves they would offer determined resistance. 

General Wilson's camp was delightful, superb hills 
rising all around us except on one side, where be- 
low threaded the silvery Coamo River, beyond which 
could be seen the white tents and guns of the artil- 
lery camp, while still farther on stood picturesque 
Coamo itself. By the side of the lane leading into 
the enclosure were two interesting native huts, 
primitive in the extreme, perhaps ten by twenty 
feet, built of bamboo, upon piles above the ground, 
the roofs thatched with cocoanut leaves and com- 
posed of one or at most two rooms. To a casual ob- 
server a Puertorican might appear to have a strain 
of Irish blood in his veins, for pigs of all sizes, ditto 
goats, roam unrestrained all over the house. This 
relationship, however, I am inclined to doubt, for I 
could discover in the national character no trace of 
affection whatever for a "bit of a scrap." 

Immediately after our arrival we had to unload 



Baggage Detail to Coamo 199 

the wagons, put up tents for General Miles's staff and 
get that portion of the enclosure assigned to us into 
proper mihtary shape. Our duties after that were 
not onerous, though for a time one of them galled 
us sadly. This was work we had to doior the mule 
drivers. It would have amused, perhaps, some of 
our gentle society girls to have seen us slaving in 
the sun, perspiration running from every pore, while 
those lazy blackguards, the mule skinners, were ly- 
ing in their hammocks in the shade, perhaps reading 
the only United States papers we had received in 
two weeks — one of them a big, burly negro, too. 
Three times a day we would scour the country for 
wood, which was very scarce and generally green 
when obtained, then by hard blowing and great 
persistence coax up a fire, haul water up the steep 
bank from the river, the muleteers the while look- 
ing lazily on. When we had cooked the meal, from 
our own supply of rations too, then, and not till 
then, would these lazy gentlemen move and exert 
themselves only enough to get their share of the 
meal, retiring again to their hammocks to dispose 
of it and dreamily watch us clean up the cooking 
utensils. We fell back on the soldiers' prerogative 
and, by a well directed kick, threw the disgusted and 
disconsolate skinners back upon their own re- 
sources. 



200 History of Troop "A" 

The river just below our camp was very pictur- 
esque and proved most attractive to tlie soldier 
boys. So much so that during the greater part of 
the day it was literally choked by a mass of laugh- 
ing, chaffing, splashing, jolly fellows refreshing 
themselves or washing their clothes in the few inches 
of cool, clear water of the brook. The washing, 
moreover, of the whole town, as well as of the camp, 
was done here in a truly primitive style, and many 
were the pretty, little, naked native children that 
splashed in the pools while their mothers pounded 
the dirt out of the clothes on the stony bottom, with 
a delightful disregard for the future use of the arti- 
cles being washed. 

We fared very well during our stay at Coamo, 
being treated with great courtesy by the officers 
with whom we came in contact. General Miles's own 
tent was turned over to us for our use until his ar- 
rival, and all of his private commissary stores were 
put at our disposal, with permission to take what- 
ever we wished. Our work was very light, having 
little to do but attend to our own horses. These 
needed grass badly and we had to picket them out 
twice daily, with a detail on guard, as the field was 
only partially enclosed. One rainy afternoon, think- 
ing nothing would be expected of us for the rest of 
the day, we were deep in the intricacies of an inter- 



I 



Baggage Detail to Coamo 201 

esting little game when, to our cliagrin, we were 
ordered to turn out the horses. Exeitement ran 
too h,gh to stop just then, so we had recourse to 
the rather novel expedient of playing the rest of the 
afternoon on a poncho stretched upon the grass in 
the open field, only stopping now and again to round 
"P some contrary horse. It was cold and wet, we 
were stifif and uncomfortable, the cards were sticky 
and damp, the horses were "cussed" and perverse 
but such were the subtleties of "the same old game- 
that even under these adverse conditions it was far 
from devoid of interest and amusement. 

In addition to many other hberties and in spite 
of the very strict provost regulations, we were al- 
lowed to ride about the country, the only require- 
ment being that the squad should be in charge of 
the sergeant of the detail. Hearing of some famous 
baths, four or five miles off, we made up our minds 
to vs,t them. The bath-house, so called, was of 
pmk stucco and resembled a large hotel, though dif- 
fenng very much in arrangement from any I have 
ever seen elsewhere. It was two stories high, each 
havmg Its own piazza completely encircling the 
bu.Idmg. On to these piazzas opened all the bed- 
rooms, the doors being of lattice, with air-spaces 
above and below, and through these were admitted 
the hght as well as air, for there were no other win- 



202 History of Troop "A" 

dows in the building. A short hall, which was only 
a continuation of the piazza, ran through from front 
to rear, dividing the house in the middle; in these 
passages were placed the staircase, they apparently 
serving the additional duty of conventional public 
rooms, having rocking chairs, tables and horsehair 
sofas placed stiffly about. In the rear the view was 
most extended, the ground falHng rapidly in steep 
terraces to a little river threading its way through 
a miniature canyon, while beyond this it rolled gently 
off to the great mountain-chain miles away. 

From the rear of the lower piazza we went along 
a covered brick runway, down, down, twisting and 
turning till I could not but recall "Alice in Wonder- 
land" and her encounter with the white rabbit in 
the subterranean passage. 

Inside the bath, however, one received a shock, 
for the first room one entered, a sort of entresol, 
was of white and black marble with black bent-wood 
furniture, closely resembling the reception-room of 
a crematory, often euphoniously spoken of as "a 
burial parlor." The bathrooms themselves, how- 
ever, were more attractive, each room containing 
two huge marble tubs, set in the floor. The faucets 
were nearly two inches in diameter, and so arranged 
that one could let a stream of water fall from a con- 
siderable height upon the body, thus obtaining a de- 



Baggage Detail to Coamo 203 

Hghtfiil massage, most grateful and refreshing to 
our tired muscles. 

After the bath we repaired to the restaurant, and 
with keen appetites regaled ourselves sumptuous- 
ly on the best of the land for seventy-five cents 
apiece. 

On August 17th, at 9:30 A. M., Captain Foltz, 
First United States Cavalry, directed the sergeant 
in command of the detail to report with two mount- 
ed troopers in half an hour, to carry a flag of truce 
into the Spanish lines. There was great commotion 
when this order was reported to the detail, and im- 
mediately there began a complicated system of 
matching, to decide who were to be the lucky troop- 
ers. Lee and Hall were the fortunate ones. Captain 
Clayton, of Troop '^C," with a trumpeter, joined 
the party as we were starting out, bent apparently 
upon getting a view of the Spanish position. This 
party of six rode along the San Juan road some six 
miles to our outposts, passing several bridges which 
had been, more or less, demolished by the Spanish 
in their recent rapid retreat from Coamo. At our 
pickets, in order to avoid too large a party Lee 
Hall and the Troop ''C" trumpeter were left behind 
two captains and I advancing toward the Spanish 
Imes, at a walk, under a flag of truce. 
Though the road to our outposts was very attrac- 



204 History of Troop "A" 

tive, from this point about two and a half miles to 
the Spanish lines, it was simply superb. Smooth as 
a billiard-table, flanked on both sides with rows of 
locust-trees, gorgeous with their load of red blos- 
soms, the military road gradually rose higher and 
higher as it twisted and turned and wound, in almost 
redundant folds around the beautiful hills. Through- 
out almost the whole distance one could see the 
road miles ahead shining white against the green 
slopes and apparently gliding like some gigantic 
serpent across the country, disappearing beyond the 
great central mountain ridge just at the left of the 
Spanish position. These two miles and a half of 
road were in full view of the Spanish works, and a 
single file could hardly have covered the distance 
without being detected from the rifle pits. Though 
nearly three miles by road, it was scarcely three 
thousand yards as the crow flies. A well directed 
charge of dynamite could have made the road im- 
passable, while an advance across country in such a 
contingency through the tangled underbrush would 
have been almost equally impossible. 

It was not, however, till we got to the Spanish 
outposts that we realized how strong their position 
was. Looking backward, almost every foot of the 
road for miles back was distinctly visible and, in 
fact, so was the greater part of its course, the whole 



Baggage Detail to Coamo 205 

distance from Ponce; clear and blue we could see 
the sea in Ponce harbor and for miles up and down 
the coast; with a glass the number and character of 
ships in that harbor could also easily have been dis- 
tinguished. In fact, if watchful, nothing of impor- 
tance could have taken place between the Spanish 
position and the sea without their knowledge. 

Soon we were halted by a Spanish picket, who, 
immediately on challenging, took to his heels up 
the road to join a second sentry holding their two 
scrubby ponies. Both immediately mounted, one 
galloping on up the double S, appearing, disappear- 
ing and reappearing again, each time a little higher 
up the mountain, ludicrously recalling to mind Sieg- 
fried's climb on the operatic stage to free Brun- 
hilde. Very soon down he came again on the gallop, 
joined his companion and both rode at full speed 
down upon us, pulling up short only a few feet away. 
With a most exaggerated show of friendship, they 
greeted and all but embraced Captains Foltz and 
Clayton, shaking hands with all the effusion and 
manner possible to the Latin race. 

They were dirty, insignificant, little rats, in filthy, 
white uniforms. They wore long white trousers, 
strapped under shoes which were of a cheap Bowery 
pattern of the Congress gaiter variety; the elastic 
sides were worn out, allowing the tugs and a part 



2o6 History of Troop "A" 

of the shoe to stick out fore and aft beyond wrinkled 
trousers, giving the soldier anything but a heroic 
and martial appearance. Their hats were the ordi- 
nary panamas of straw with a red and yellow cockade 
on the side. They wore cross-belts of russet leather, 
one a carbine sling, hanging almost to the knee, and 
the other a support for the waist-belt, which held a 
row of little leather boxes closely packed with Mau- 
ser clips and cartridges. Their chargers were of the 
starved, half-dead variety so much used and abused 
on the island; the saddles were of a mongrel English 
type, both they and the bridles being of the cheapest 
possible make. The carbines were in wretched con- 
dition and covered with rust. They were swung to 
the saddles, the muzzles stuck in small leather sock- 
ets, hanging low by the ponies' off elbow, while 
pommel straps were wrapped several times about 
the small of the stocks. This exposed the locks to 
dust and rain, and the sights to the danger of many 
knocks; with the further disadvantage that it would 
have taken nearly a minute to extricate the carbines 
from these clumsy contrivances. Machetes of Eng- 
lish make completed this equipment — no, I forgot ! 
One had an old spur tied to his heel with a string. 

Shortly a little officer came galloping down to us. 
Unlike the men, he was personally clean and of very 
dignified manner, but, in common with them, his 



Baggage Detail to Coamo 207 

pony showed no signs of ever having been groomed. 
After dignified salutations were exchanged, Captain 
Foltz explained to him that the firing which would 
be heard on that afternoon, would be salvos to 
General Miles, who was to visit our lines and out- 
posts, and that the Spanish were not to interpret it 
as a breach of faith on our part and a violation of 
the truce. Then, with many graceful waves of the 
hand and profound bows, we withdrew, riding back 
to camp without further incident. 

Next day I again had the pleasure of meeting 
the same Spanish soldiers, and was amused at their 
method of approaching an enemy's outpost. The 
day before the two United States Captains had rid- 
den in front; I followed, carrying a small stick 
(pulled from a sapling by the roadside), with Cap- 
tain Foltz's silk handkerchief knotted to it. The 
Spaniards observed a different formality— one troop- 
er rode some fifty yards ahead of their party of six, 
vigorously waving a huge white flag on a ten foot 
staff, the flag most closely resembling a cotton sheet. 
As they withdrew he fell in fifty yards in the rear, 
keeping his flag flying free by an occasional wave. 

Shortly after we reached camp General Miles rode 
in, followed by his escort, composed of the rest of 
our troop. We then immediately reported to Lieu- 
tenant Coudert, and, as the troop had ridden so hard 



208 



History of Troop "A" 



that their wagons were miles in the rear and it was 
well past noon, we volunteered to cook dinner for 
the whole troop. The way they enjoyed it amply 
repaid us for the additional work, events proving 
that they were ravenous after their hard ride. 

Thus ended a very pleasant Httle trip. Through- 
out we were treated with the greatest consideration 
and kindness by the regular officers with whom we 
came in contact. This was carried to such a degree, 
and by men who knew nothing about any of us, nor 
perhaps ever expected to see us again, that it would 
have been an excellent object lesson to many volun- 
teer officers in the service, who, being somewhat 
uncertain of their ability to command the respect 
of their men, considered boorishness and insolence 
necessary to make them appear the officer and the 
gentleman. 




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A Little Journey in the 
World 

Harry J. Fisher. 

" Then all the fleas in Jewry 
Jumped up and bit like fury." 

—The White Squall. 

" Private in charge of the escort, 
And escort under my own command, 
Where will you see another like me, 
Compact, and expansive, and grand ? " 

— A Versatile Genius, 

J HE life of an humble private 
is essentially a mechanical 
one, with not even a vote 
as to the manipulation of 
the machine. The abundant 
gray matter of our gallant 
band was sorely threatened 
with fatty degeneration while in the Isle of the 
Mango. It was therefore with a throb of joy which 
even the mess-call could not inspire that I was ap- 
proached by Surgeon-Major Daly, of General Miles's 
staff, with a most attractive proposition, I being 
at the time detailed orderly at headquarters. 




210 History of Troop "A" 

The Major had received instructions to inspect 
all hospitals where any of our sick and wounded 
were quartered between Ponce and General 
Schwan's headquarters, at Mayaguez, on the west 
coast. He was furthermore to take two hospital 
wagons of medicines and supplies to the headquar- 
ters hospital, and to report fully on the situation 
and condition of affairs both there and along the 
route. The newspaper story that our detail in- 
cluded an undertaker to investigate the condition 
of the meat is erroneous. 

The writer was assigned as armed orderly to the 
expedition and put in charge of the wagons, skin- 
ners and mules. After receiving instructions to 
take the Major's horse as far as Yauco, whither he 
would journey by train, I corralled five days' ra- 
tions from our bounteous commissary tent and rode 
proudly forth with my retinue, on Sergeant Em- 
met's broken-down sorrel. Time, half-past two 
P. M., August 1 6th. 

It was the work of a moment when, out of the 
town, to dump all my equipment into one of the 
wagons, gayly mount the Major's thoroughbred and 
allow Emmet's "heirloom" to shamble along un- 
burdened and fancy free. That night we camped 
at the roadside, and around our modest bivouac 
one of the skinners — a dried-up old fellow, who 



A Little Journey in the World 2 1 1 

would weigh about one hundred pounds— regaled 
us with stories of his prowess as a mule driver in 
the Civil War. He thoroughly convinced us that 
he could drive anything with four legs over any 
road that was passable for a mountain goat. 

We pulled into Yauco about noon the next day, 
where we hung around for the five o'clock train. 
About fifteen minutes before that time every man, 
woman and pickaninny in the town solemnly 
marched down to the station to witness the event 
of the day. The Major, with a vast amount of "field 
equipment," and a body servant who answered to 
the name of Thomas, was quite the warmest thing 
on the train. The aforementioned Thomas had a 
command of both languages, but of the truth in 
neither. He might have held, with the advertis- 
ing department of Pears' soap, that cleanliness is 
next to godliness, but if such was the case he was 
maturely advanced on the broad highway of the 
ungodly. 

That night we camped near the station, the Major 
occupying the top, and I the lower berth of one of 
the wagons, of which the cargo was safely stowed 
on the ground under rubber blankets. The drivers 
slept on top of the supplies in the other wagons, 
while the faithful Thomas reposed beneath our 
wagon. We turned in with the sky studded with 



212 History of Troop "A" 

stars. The deluge came about midnight and I was 
aroused by the Major's inquiry : 

"Thomas, is it damp down there?" 

Upon learning that it was quite so he modestly 
suggested that I share my quarters with the faithful 
henchman. Through lack of nerve or a tenderness 
of heart I acquiesced and spent the remainder of 
the night alongside of the dirtiest nigger the health 
ofilicer ever winked at. 

Wall Street wasn't a circumstance to the trans- 
ference of stock that occurred during those few 
hours, only my acquired wealth was purely live 
stock. 

Upon starting out the next morning, August 
i8th, in the steady downpour the Major relaxed dis- 
cipline and made me a sort of travelling companion. 
Thus we jogged on ahead of the wagons, until it 
suddenly struck us that they had been out of sight 
for some time. 

What a doleful sight met our eyes as we retraced 
our steps to the first turn in the road! There was 
the hero of a hundred campaigns mournfully wring- 
ing his hands on a slippery bank, while his mules 
were floundering in a ten foot ditch, and the wagon 
was helplessly reclining upside down. It is need- 
less to enlarge upon the sad tale of how we righted 
the wrong after hours of vulgar labor. We finally 



A Little Journey in the World 213 

reached St. Germain after dark and went into camp 
on the edge of a graveyard, a most cheerful loca- 
tion. 

The next morning, August 19th, as we were cook- 
ing breakfast, a mournful little party wended its way 
down the hill and laid to rest one of our poor boys 
from Wisconsin, who had given himself, like so 
many others, to his country — given up his life, not 
in the heat of battle, where blood is hot and death 
is easy, but in the lingering agony of fever, with no 
hand or voice to satisfy the longings for home and 
country. 

Our little cavalcade rolled into Mayaguez that 
day and turned over our precious cargo to General 
Schwan. After spending a day in regaling the 
inner man, for the most part at the French cafe, we 
set forth on the return trip, and it was with untold 
joy that I saw again the good old camp of Troop 
"A" cosily nestled among the barbed-wire fences on 
Sunday evening, August 22d. 



Les Invalides 



John H. Iselin. 

" Turn out and help the Provost, 
Sick men and halt and blind ; 
For the Troop is away at Coamo, 
And few there be left behind." 

— Charge of the Hospitallers. 

T falls to my lot to write about a side 
of soldier life that is Httle considered by 
the laity in general, and yet which to 
some of us — thank heaven, but few! — is 
as real as the more exciting and be-para- 
graphed scenes of the service. With 
those of us who had to face it, it re- 
mains as the last to be forgotten of the 
many momentous incidents that befell 
n\ Troop "A" during the memorable spring 
and summer of 1898. 
When each stride of his horse makes the trooper 
flinch, when he crawls from under his dog tent at 
reveille more tired than when he sought its shelter 
the night before, when sentry duty becomes a ner- 
vous misery and pork and beans a nauseous impossi- 
bility, when the aching head is too busy following 





FIRST LIEUTENANT AND ACTING ASSISTANT SURGEON MEDWIN LEALE 



Les Invalides 215 

"specks" in the circumambient air to direct the 
weary, shaking hands, then it is time for "sick re- 
port," and, however reluctantly, the unfortunate 
must see himself fall from a more or less useful place 
in the troop machinery to the level of a clog on his 
comrades, a pauper in the asylum of the hospital 
corps. It is hardly necessary to say that every ef- 
fort was made to avoid this final catastrophe. First 
a day ofif duty or a luxurious (?) meal at one of the 
hotels in Ponce would be tried. Frank Huntington 
and I went together one day, both feeling particu- 
larly wretched, on a quest for the latter description 
of relief. The Hotel Francais, the Delmonico's of 
Ponce, was crowded with its usual mob of unwashed 
officers, much-washed troopers, batterymen and 
motley war correspondents; so we determined to 
try our luck at the Inglaterra, a neighboring and 
rival hostelry that happened to be less popular 
with the "Americanos" at that time. We entered 
through a narrow passage connecting the street 
with what, in New York, would be the back yard, 
climbed a winding stone staircase brilliantly painted 
in blue and white after the native fashion, and found 
ourselves in a long bare dining-room. A group of 
men, apparently merchants, chatting volubly and, to 
our delight, in French, were the only occupants of 
this room. We seated ourselves at a table near them ; 



2i6 History of Troop "A" 

a coffee-colored individual in a sad-looking apron 
poked his head through an adjacent doorway and 
surveyed us doubtfully; it evidently pierced his con- 
sciousness after awhile that we were not "caballe- 
ros" (gentlemen officers), but only enlisted men. 
Notwithstanding our stripes, he retreated in con- 
temptuous silence. We were determined, however, 
to get what passes in Puerto Rico for a decent meal, 
and had no intention of allowing any such triviality 
as the snobbishness of a half-breed waiter to thwart 
our plans. As was the custom with many of us hi 
the troop, we each had a few American gold pieces, 
which pass current anywhere in the world. 

When the waiter next protruded his woolly head, 
one of these caught his eye as it lay on the table 
cloth and he at once came toward us. Gold, and 
yet only "serjentes!" Stolen or not, he evidently 
decided that the gold was worth having and he 
promptly brought us a bill of fare. But now an- 
other complication arose; he could not read and 
our Spanish, although limited in quantity, was of 
course too pure Castilian to be very comprehensible 
to any dialect-speaking native. For awhile it looked 
as if we had only the alternative of leaving the choice 
of what we should eat to him, or going without. 
But in this extremity our French-speaking neigh- 
bors came to our rescue; a few words from them 



Les Invalides 217 

and our wants were in a fair way to be satisfied. We 
even secured a bottle of very fair champagne; so 
that the end made all well. Of course, I understood 
the waiter's hesitation at first — in fact, I sympa- 
thized with him. When he first looked at us, Frank 
had not yet removed his hat. To men who have 
seen that hat, I feel I need say no more. 

After much suffering in camp, where the excel- 
lent and self-sacrificing care the sick received at the 
hands of their comrades could not entirely compen- 
sate for the lack of proper accommodation and food, 
a great change for the better took place, due to our 
discovery of the little hospital which Miss Chanler 
and Miss BouHgny had then just started in one of 
the side streets of Ponce. 

More dead than alive, I found myself at the Hotel 
Francais one evening with Harry Ward. Some- 
what perplexed at my condition, the good Sergeant 
suggested that the ladies might be able to give me 
a shelter, and he promptly went to look for them, 
hearing that they were then dining in the hotel. In 
a few minutes he called to me to come into the cor- 
ridor. I found him talking with a woman in the 
blue and white uniform of a trained nurse, with the 
Red Cross badge on her left arm and a half merry, 
half pitying, wholly capable and sympathetic ex- 
pression on her face, that at once inspired a feeling 



2i8 History of Troop "A" 

of confidence and hope. That night for the first 
time in many months I enjoyed the luxury of a 
real bed, and the conviction that whether it were 
necessary for me to live or die I could now do either 
decently. Although intended only for officers, the 
little hospital stretched the mantle of its hospitality 
over such members of our troop, of the City Troop 
and of Battery "A" of Philadelphia, as were in seri- 
ous need of nursing; and let me say here, in the 
name of the men of those different commands who 
profited by that generous hospitality, and who, per- 
haps, in many instances owe their lives to it, that 
mere words cannot in anywise express our grati- 
tude for, and our deep appreciation of, the con- 
stant, tender care we received from those two noble 
women, when we were so ill in a hostile, half-bar- 
barous country, far from those to whom we had a 
right to look for aid. Those alone who knew Ponce 
at the time of which I am writing will be able fully 
to understand what difficulties and dangers the only 
two American women in Puerto Rico had to face 
in the course of their errand of mercy. 

An incident occurred one day, when some patients 
were being transferred from the hospital to the hos- 
pital-ship, wdiich illustrates well Miss Chanler's cool- 
headedness and force. All of the patients, but one, 
had been put in the ambulances, when the surgeon 



Les Invalides 219 

in charge gave the order to start. Miss Chanler told 
him there was one more man to ero. 

" Can't help it," said the surgeon; "' can't wait." 

" But, doctor, he must go," she said. " He is all 
ready, has been dressed and given stimulants to help 
him stand the trip, and he must go." 

" Can't wait," replied the surgeon again. (There 
was no earthly reason why he shouldn't wait.) " He 
isn't here, and I can't wait." 

After a few more useless appeals, Miss Chanler 
turned to Sergeant Phelps, who was standing with 
her and the doctor, and said, in a voice which was 
distinctly audible to the latter, '' Sergeant, will you 
bring the man down, please; the doctor seems a trifle 
excited." The ambulance waited. 

The day after I was taken to the hospital, Rob 
Barclay and Chick Childs were brought there with 
varying degrees of fever and other ills at that time 
prevalent among us. The building that served 
as our shelter was an ordinary house, larger than 
the majority of its neighbors, single-storied and 
raised some feet from the ground on brick pillars; it 
was built of clapboards, painted a bluish gray, with 
white trimmings, and had a spacious yard or garden 
behind it in which convalescent patients could enjoy 
the fresh air. The interior was arranged as well as 
might be for hospital purposes. With some trouble 



220 History of Troop "A" 

Miss Chanler had secured a number of cots, each 
with a mosquito-bar, and these were distributed 
through the three available rooms. In the "ward" 
with me there were a captain of artillery in the regu- 
lar army and the medical officer of Battery *'A," ill 
respectively with sunstroke and typhoid fever. 
Chick and Rob had a room to themselves, into 
which, as the available space became more limited, 
I was afterwards transferred. 

No description of the hospital would be complete 
without some mention of its bogie or familiar imp. 
About twenty-five years old, of a light chocolate 
brown, tall, spare, and indescribably unneat in her 
negligee native costume, Saturnina was as uncanny 
a presiding genius as ever seconded the God of heal- 
ing. Like many women of her race on the island, 
she had lost her two upper front teeth; the aperture 
thus formed she alternately used as the socket for 
her cigar or as a cleverly managed channel for ex- 
pectoration. A dark skirt, a loose white shirt open 
at the throat, and a shawl of various colors around 
her shoulders, constituted her usual apparel. Her 
woolly hair was arranged in two stiff, hornlike ex- 
crescences over either ear, and covered with a cloth 
or handkerchief secured by fancy pins, in guise of 
mantilla. This nightmare, bending over our cots 
with a steaming bowl of rice, gruel or milk, will fol- 



Les Invalides 221 

low us for many a day through uneasy dreams. Yet 
Satumina was kind of heart and would often tempt 
some ravenous convalescent, whom she Hked, to 
stuff himself with forbidden food, against the strict 
orders of her mistress and to the subsequent despair 
of the unfortunate wretch himself. Her sense of 
the proprieties was entirely minus. Often did I 
curse my scanty knowledge of Spanish when Satur- 
nma would come into our room and irrepressibly 
entertain us with remarks that would have made a 
Comanche blush. Not that there was any guile in 
her; her conversation was perpetrated with the ig- 
norant carelessness of a two-year-old child; and all 
the lectures the ladies gave her on this head pro- 
duced only blank non-understanding. Poor, black, 
hideous, kind-hearted Saturnina! I trust she has 
prospered and has long since been able to afford a 
"church marriage" to that sneaky-eyed little "hus- 
band" of whom she was so proud. 

As the men became convalescent, or in their com- 
paratively well intervals between attacks of fever, 
Miss Chanler would allow them to assist her with 
such small jobs as were suited to their strength- 
washing dishes, watching the cooking rice that it 
should not burn, sweeping the rooms, acting as 
orderly, and what not. Some of us she adorned with 
a regular Red Cross badge on the left arm, which 



222 History of Troop "A" 

made a display against our yellow chevrons that we 
all agreed was unique, and it certainly served a prac- 
tical purpose by securing us prompt attention when 
we had to execute various small commissions about 
the town, where the badge met with general respect. 
Soon after I was invested with these insignia, an 
incident happened that is perhaps worth recording. 
For some days previous there had been small riots 
in various parts of the town, caused by the native 
animosity against the Spanish residents who had re- 
mained within our lines. Notwithstanding the 
strong military patrols that were stationed in every 
quarter, there had been some looting and violence. 
On the afternoon of which I write, Harold Barclay, 
our hospital steward, had come up from camp to see 
his brother. He was already suffering from the 
fever which later gave him so much trouble, and his 
face looked flushed and drawn as he stopped at the 
yard gate to speak to me before returning "home." 
As we stood there chatting a great hubbub arose in 
the street outside. Hastily opening the gate we 
saw a throng of Puerto Ricans surging back and 
forth around the corner of a nearby thoroughfare. 
Afterwards we learned that they had broken into a 
neighboring store, the property of a Spaniard, and 
after sacking it, had fallen out over the division of 
their spoil. Loud yells and oaths came from the 



Les Invalides ii-x 

maddened crowd as they struck at each other with 
machetes and long-naked branches of a species of 
palm that furnishes most efficient clubs. Apparent- 
ly they had no firearms; at least they did not use 
them. 

"Come on!" cried Harold, and off he went on a 
run. I "came on" as fast as I could; being veiy weak, 
my course was somewhat erratic, and had anyone 
unacquainted with my condition followed up my 
tracks, he could have formed but a poor opinion of 
my sobriety. When I arrived on the actual scene 
of the conflict Harold was already shouldering his 
way through the mob, knocking the men out of his 
way with the ease of a bulldog walking over a litter 
of mongrel pups. The fighting ceased almost en- 
tirely, as if by magic; some slunk away; others, as 
if from curiosity, stood shamefacedly watching to 
see what we would do. The two leaders of ''the 
opposing factions, however, too frenzied with rage 
to notice our approach, plied their blows with little 
skill but great determination, armed the one with 
a long knife, the other with a cudgel. Each was 
covered with blood, the loss of which seemed in 
nowise to have impaired his strength. Harold 
made straight for them. Perhaps it was the sight 
of the uniforms, perhaps it was the very ''cheek" of 
our unarmed interference that cowed them. At 



224 History of Troop "A" 

any rate, the moment Barclay's hand fell on the 
shoulder of the fellow with the club, the battle 
ceased. Both men dropped their weapons at our 
order, and we led them, unresisting, down the street 
toward the jail, while their comrades disappeared in 
all directions. Our Httle bluff had worked; a bluff 
it certainly was, however. We had hardly gone a 
block when we were overtaken by a corporal of one 
of the regular batteries, mounted and cantering 
along at a lively pace. Coming up with us and our 
blood-stained prisoners he reined in to inquire the 
trouble, and tO' him we turned over the men, he 
promising, with a twinkle in his eye as he drew his 
revolver, tO' deliver them, safely or the contrary, at 
the calaboose. — "Move on, yez spalpeens !" said he, 
and we went back to the hospital. 




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With General Miles to 
Coamo 



William C. Cammann. 



" Fast spurred we on, but cursed by cruel fate 
The war is done ; we're just a week too late." 

—What Might Have Been. 

N the i8th of August, when 
i the troop finally went to 
Coamo, it was on a very dif- 
ferent errand than we had 
at first expected. Only a few 
days before, hostilities were 
still on, and at the Hotel 
Francais — the centre of all 
news and the rendezvous 
h of all celebrities — we heard 
from correspondents and 
others just back from the front that things were 
waxing pretty warm up the military road, where, a 
few miles beyond Coamo, Wilson's Division, after 
two or three skirmishes, had found the enemy well 
entrenched. Brooke's Division had started from 




226 History of Troop "A" 

Guayama to flank them on the east, the commands 
under Generals Schwan and Henry were to proceed 
from Adjuntas and Mayagtiez against Areceibo, and 
General Miles was to start the next morning to join 
Wilson and there take command of the main attack; 
and we were going with him. 

The orders came late in the afternoon, and at 
sundown, as we lined up for a general inspection 
of arms and equipment, something unusual was in 
the air — we were going to the front. How well 
we all slept that night history may never tell, but 
the dreams of those who did sleep and the thoughts 
of those who didn't vanished alike in the morning 
air; shortly after "boots and saddles," came the news 
that hostilities had ceased, and so our first and only 
chance of a fight dropped in its tracks. 

The next few days were the most disheartening 
of the whole campaign. What it all meant and how 
long it was to last nobody knew; for news from 
home, our only real source of information, came 
but seldom and told us Httle. Some letters, in- 
deed, came with the sun, but they, I think, con- 
tained more of love than war. Even rumors, gen- 
erally so fertile, failed us now in our need. We only 
knew that things had come to an indefinite stand- 
still, and we began to speculate whether we should 
hang our Christmas stockings on the Ponce palms. 



With General Miles to Coamo 227 

It was therefore welcome news when a few days 
after we again got word that General Miles would 
start in the morning for Coamo to visit the out- 
posts there. It was a different proposition from 
the one of a week ago, but, under the present con- 
ditions, quite attractive. We were only astonished 
when Lieutenant Coudert told the first sergeant 
that, in answer to his question as to how many men 
he would want, the General replied, "As many as 
are able to stand the hardships of the march." But 
the General had a reputation for being death on 
cavalry, which, it was conckided, was the reason for 
this considerate precaution. 

We started the next morning about eight. It 
was a rather unique cavalcade to march to an ene- 
my's outposts. A sergeant and three men were 
directed to ride ahead, apparently for the purpose 
of setting the pace, and perhaps with an idea of 
receiving the floral offerings and such other things 
as, judging from the past experience of our 
troops in Porto Rico, one of the General's exalted 
position might well expect would obstruct his pas- 
sage. Following this advance guard came Mr. and 
Mrs. Van Rensselaer and Miss Fell, guests of the 
General, in a covered wagon drawn by two of the 
very best of army mules; then the General himself, 
in a very blue shirt and a very big hat, followed by 



228 History of Troop "A" 

his staff, in many shades and varieties of khaki; 
and the Troop, in a column of fours, brought up the 
rear. ''i ' * 

As we rode through the town the natives came 
out to look at us and seemed much impressed, but 
as yet there were no bouquets. After crossing a 
ford on the outskirts of the town, where we struck 
the military road, an aide rode up and instructed the 
sergeant ahead that the General wanted to make 
time, so, when the road was good, to proceed at a 
good pace. The road was as good as any in Cen- 
tral Park, so, excepting when we waded through 
the frequent fords, sometimes to our stirrups, the 
advance guard hit up so good a pace that before 
ten o'clock we arrived at Juana Dias, about eight 
miles from Ponce, and there made a halt. The road 
so far ran through the sugar fields and plantations 
that cover the stretch of lowland between the sea 
and the foothills of the mountains, which begin to 
rise about three miles from the coast. It is a pict- 
uresque and most fertile part of the island, and a 
great source of its agricultural wealth. 

Like all Porto Pican towTis, Juana Dias is built 
"on the square," with a church at the head of it, 
two-storied houses about the other sides and a band 
stand in the middle. When he arrived, the Gen- 
eral with his staff and guests, repaired to the ho- 



With General Miles to Coamo 229 

tel — the only hotel — for refreshment, and we stood 
in the sun and waited, taking the precaution, how- 
ever, to unload our saddle-packs and leave them 
in a pile to be taken up by the wagons when they 
came along, for ten miles an hour in the tropics in 
August is a hot pace under any circumstances, and 
we did not want to disappoint the General in his 
anxiety to make time. 

On leaving Juana Dias the road, in a winding way, 
beautiful at every turn, rises into the hills, and you 
soon look down on the green sea of the cane fields 
fading away into the blue sea beyond. Still obe- 
dient to orders, the sergeant ahead struck out again 
at a good pace, and the rest of the cavalcade for a 
time kept well up, but after a mile or two the Gen- 
eral, seeming less anxious to make time, now and 
then dropped conspicuously to the rear, only the 
mules and covered wagon keeping in touch. 

About one o'clock we approached Coamo, where 
we were met by General Wilson and his staff, with 
an escort of Troop "C." Compliments were ex- 
changed and they then turned back to lead us into 
the town. It was triumphal in a sense, this ap- 
proach of the commander of the conquering army 
into the conquered town — about a week late. It 
had an atmosphere of real war about it, and the sur- 
roundings carried out the picture. Some three 



230 History of Troop "A" 

miles this side of Coamo we passed over a tem- 
porary structure put up in the place of a stone 
bridge which had been blown up a few days before 
and for some time had stopped the advance of our 
army, and as we rode into the town there were still 
the remains of trenches in the streets, and here and 
there the mark of a well directed shot. 

Wilson's headquarters were situated about half a 
mile the other side of the city and a few hundred 
yards beyond the camp of B, of the Fourth, and F. 
of the Third Artillery, which, as we passed, gave the 
Major-General's salute of thirteen guns that echoed 
uproariously through the hills and for a moment dis- 
turbed the formation of the cavalcade and not a few 
military seats. 

Upon reaching the headquarters, situated very 
picturesquely in a Httle opening to the right of the 
highway, the troop was dismissed and directed to its 
camp, a few hundred yards beyond. During the 
afternoon we lay about the dog-tents when it didn't 
rain, and crept into them when it did, and enjoyed 
the surroundings. We realized we were really at 
the front. 

Just where we camped and on the road a few feet 
away the battle of Coamo had been fought a week 
before and it was here that the Sixteenth Pennsyl- 
vania, having marched at four in the morning, had 



With General Miles to Coamo 231 

flanked the Spaniards in the position behind a 
mound alongside the road and made hot work for 
them, killing a number of their officers and taking 
most of them prisoners. It was one of the few real 
fights on the island and about the last engagement 
before hostilities ceased. One of the Pennsylvania 
boys who came to see us, and who was in the fight 
pointed out in a whisper the very spot where he or 
some one else had shot a Spanish officer, and he 
offered to show me the carcass of the officer's horse, 
but unfortunately when we went to look the horse 
was gone. 

Here also we heard from themselves the stories 
of Troop "C's" good work. One of them told us 
that in a fight in which he was, the bullets flew so 
thick that he could catch them in his hands! 

The wagons arrived before long, and after mess 
and evening stables we sat around the fire until 
nine o'clock, when we took the hint of a rather 
rusty "taps" (for Braith, having been left behind 
on account of a kick in the leg, the "Baron" and 
"Vallie" were taking turns at the horn) and were 
soon asleep. It rained all night, but with the sun 
the weather cleared up sufficiently to promise a 
good day. The rumor of the night before that we 
would proceed to Guayama proved to be un- 
founded, and the order came that the General would 



232 History of Troop "A" 

rest for the clay. The outposts were then about four 
miles beyond Coamo, in the hills; the white flags 
were plainly visible on every point, and with the aid 
of a glass you could distinguish the sentries at their 
posts. After stable and breakfast Lieutenant Cou- 
dert and Dr. Leale, with four of us who were for- 
tunate enough to be asked to go along, rode out to 
visit the outposts. 

After a three mile ride we came to our pickets, en- 
camped alongside the road in shelter tents, which 
afforded little or no protection from the constant 
showers; they told us that they sufifered greatly for 
food, being able to cook but very little on account 
of the rain. A little farther up the road we met a 
volunteer officer in a blue shirt, with his shoulder- 
straps pinned on it. Seeming to be somewhat ex- 
cited, he told us that two Spanish officers with a 
detail of soldiers were at our extreme outpost, about 
a hundred yards ahead, under a flag of truce, anx- 
ious to deliver a message; that an interpreter had 
been sent for, but had not arrived, and he asked if 
any of us spoke Spanish. The temptation was 
too strong for one of us, who very modestly asserted 
that he did, and the credulous officer then requested 
that we accompany him back to interview the Span- 
iards. We found them dismounted around a bend 
in the road, six in all, two officers and four men. 



With General Miles to Coamo 233 

They were small and not very imposing from a mili- 
tary point of view. They wore the typical white 
straw hats and hnen uniforms, the latter of a very 
poor quality and in a shameful state of repair. The 
soldiers had crossbelts and machetes; the officers 
carried sabres and Smith & Wessons. They were 
all mounted on Porto Rican ponies not much bigger 
than Rocky Mountain goats, and their horse equip- 
ment would not have paid for its weight in a junk 
shop. Their arms, however, were beyond criticism, 
for the Mauser is a good thing wherever you find it. 
After considerable saluting and bowing the mem- 
ber of our party who had boasted of his Spanish 
was called on to open the conversation. Fortu- 
nately, however, one of the Spaniards, who after- 
ward turned out to be a captain, apparently antici- 
pating that he would now be understood, himself 
opened up with a long speech imparting, no 
dou')t, a very important and secret message, but 
which was perfectly safe in our hands. But, what- 
ever it was, it apparently required an answer, and 
when none was forthcoming the Spaniards, awak- 
ing to the fact that they had made a mistake, en- 
gaged in a heated conversation among themselves, 
and then shut up like clams, and eyed us with an 
expression not at all encouraging. It was an awk- 
ward moment for both sides, and we were begin- 



234 History of Troop "A" 

ning to guess what would happen next when, for- 
tunately, one of us, who had his camera, was struck 
with the happy idea of taking a photograph of the 
Spanish gentlemen. 

The photograph idea is apparently very close to 
the Castilian heart, for at the sight of the camera 
the Spaniards immediately became friendly and 
voluble, and, after understanding the proposition 











and being carefully grouped, stood like statues until 
the sun appeared sufficiently for an exposure. They 
seemed disappointed that the negatives could not 
be developed immediately, and when we explained 
that it was not possible the captain very handsomely 
wrote on a leaf of his notebook his name and that of 
his lieutenant, and at the bottom a graceful request, 
and handed it to us. They then ofifered us cigarettes, 
which we all took, and pretty soon, with true Amer- 




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X o 



With General Miles to Coamo 235 

ican cheek, we swapped cartridges with the soldiers, 

we examined their equipment very minutely, and 

they ours (which they conceded was better than 

theirs), and we in turn conceded that the Mauser 

was superior to our Krag; and very soon Stowe 

Phelps was trying to buy the machete, and, in fact, 

all the arms of one of the poor soldiers, into whose 

face he flashed a peso, the size of which the soldier 

had not seen for a month; Harry Ward was trying 

to lift one of the ponies from the ground to see how 

much it weighed; somebody else had put greedy 

eyes on the lieutenant's revolver, and everybody 

was jingHng pesos in his pockets. I really think if 

we had stayed there another half hour we would 

have left those Spaniards in a condition indecent to 

describe. 

Fortunately the interpreter just then arrived, and 
we received again the important message, after 
which the Spaniards, with demonstrations of great 
regard, prepared to mount their little ponies and de- 
part. Being all in gray shirts, so that it was impos- 
sible to tell our rank, I believe they took us all for 
generals, for as the captain was about to put his foot 
in l^is stirrup and I saluted him, he came back and 
shook me by the hand, and, I think, asked me to dine 
with him in Madrid. 

Considering we were at war and all of us armed 



236 History of Troop "A" 

to the teeth, it was the most friendly meeting of 
enemies imaginable. It was a striking instance of 
what has been often reported during the war— the 
lack of animosity between the Spanish and Amer- 
ican soldiers; for even after the fight at Santiago, 
they say, the men mixed together and traded souve- 
nirs without the least sign of unfriendliness. 

From where we stood the Spaniards' position was 
easily seen. They were heavily intrenched on the 
highest of a range of hills across a valley about two 
thousand yards wide, every inch of which was cov- 
ered bv their guns, and from our present position, 
as had been demonstrated a few days before, when 
an attempt was made to dislodge them, we were 
at the mercy of their artillery and quick-firing pieces. 
Had the plan of attack as contemplated been car- 
ried out it is difficult to say what the outcome 
would have been. 

During the afternoon we lazed about our camp, 
and those who wished to, got passes to ride around 
and see the sights of the place, the most important 
of which are the baths. These are common m all 
the principal towns on the island, but here par- 
ticulariy they are built on an elaborate scale in con- 
nection with a most attractive hotel, formerly fre- 
quented by wealthy Spaniards as a watering-place. 
This being the chief attraction, the General him- 



With General Miles to Coamo 237 

self very naturally had desired to visit it, and had 
sent word to the proprietor that afternoon to be 
prepared to receive him, with a number of guests, 
for dinner. Since the war broke out the hotel had 
practically gone out of business, so when the mes- 
sage came the happy proprietor, being all unpre- 
pared, flurried about to concoct a suitable meal. 
Soon after, when a number of horsemen arrived, 
and, making themselves very much at home, 
gave him to understand they had come to dine, 
he received them with great delight and respect, 
and so completely outdid himself in hospitahty and 
good things to eat that they responded with a vim, 
and Hterally cleaned him out. When, an hour later, 
the General and his party arrived there was not an 
egg in the house. 

Whether the General appreciated this dehcate 
attention of his body-guard of young gentlemen 
troopers in eating his dinner history does not tell. 

We returned to Ponce the next morning. Mrs. 
Van Rensselaer the day before, while riding through 
a ford, had met with an accident, which prevented 
her party's return with us. The advance guard of 
pace setters was also omitted, the General taking 
the lead himself, and we jogged along at an easy 
rate. Once, when the troop had just watered the 
horses and was galloping to catch the General, 



238 History of Troop "A" 

as we thundered along we passed a pathetic Httle 
party bearing a child's coffin. Off went the hats 
of the cavalrymen, and the white clad natives broke 
from their order and cheered us in their gratifica- 
tion. 

Just before reaching the outskirts of Ponce it 
looked for the moment as if we might see a scrap. 
The natives came running out of their huts to meet 
us, talking and gesticulating and pointing toward 
something in the hills about half a mile away, across 
the river to the left. We finally gathered that a 
body of Spaniards were in the hills and had been 
up there for two or three days, coming down occa- 
sionally to water their horses and steal sheep and 
stock from the people around. Upon looking care- 
fully we saw two white objects, which, with the 
glass, were unmistakably horsemen, in white uni- 
forms and straw hats, coming down the trail on 
the side of the hill. The troop was immediately 
brought to attention and turned off the road in 
the direction of the stream, whence the General sent 
an aide with an orderly, to reconnoitre. 

The horsemen could now be plainly seen without 
the glass. We dismounted, and the General sat 
on the side of the stream, apparently enjoying the 
situation, while we loosened our carbines a little 
in their boots and felt very much as one does be- 



With General Miles to Coamo 239 

fore a football game — nothing very serious, but just 
a little of the tingling in the ends of the fingers, 
just a Httle of the ''Let me at them." But it was 
soon over. After a few minutes the aide returned 
and reported that he had met and interviewed the 
enemy, who appeared to be only mounted herds- 
men camping for a few days in the hills. The na- 
tives seemed as much disappointed as we were, and 
apparently were not yet convinced. 

It was an interesting trip, and gave us the satis- 
faction of feeling that we had at least been as near 
the front as any of our troops had reached, and, 
besides, that we had had the honor of going there 
in the very good company of the Commander-in- 
Chief of the army. 



An Errand of Mercy 

Charles F. Carusi. 

" On such a blessed mission were we sent, 

Two errant cavaliers, the skies dropped tears ; 
The sun beamed warmly on us as we went; 
Even the ice was melted." 

— Arctic and Tropic. 

N the morning of Au- 
gust 15, Blake and Carusi, 
high privates of Troop "A," 
U. S. v., were ordered to 
|) proceed at once to Utuado 
in charge of, and as military 
escort to, a pack-train conveying ice to certain of 
Ours reported to be then lying stricken with the 
prevalent fevers at that town. Under our protection 
also were to travel the three athletic Texan cowboys, 
accompanying the mule-train as packers. Mounted 
upon sure-footed little burros, lariats coiled upon 
the horns of their Mexican saddles, and armed (con- 
trary, I think, to regulations for non-combatants) 
with Winchester repeaters, supplemented by the 
inevitable though concealed bowie, they presented 
an appearance at once picturesque and formidable. 




242 Histor}- of Troop "A" 

Private Blake was chief of the military escort, Pri- 
vate Carusi composing the main body under his 
command. 

The ice, artificially manufactured in Ponce, in 
blocks about thirty inches long by eight wide and a 
thickness of four, adapted itself readily for carriage 
upon the pack saddles, each animal carn-ing with 
comfort about two hundred pounds. 

All things having been made ready, the chief of 
the expedition in front, sleeves carefully rolled up 
to display the artistic tattooing on his arms, pack 
mules obediently following in column of files, mule 
skinners hovering on the flanks and the main body, 
in difficulties with a hospital man's brevet horse, 
borrowed for the occasion, bringing up the rear, 
the cortege, amid the excusable admiration of all 
the young hopeful Puerto-Rico-Americanos in the 
vicinity, took up with enthusiasm the line of march 
for Adjuntas, distant from Ponce about nineteen 
miles. 

Traversing the broad macadamized road, well 
kept for three hours out of Ponce, our party had just 
proceeded far enough up the foothills leading to 
the mountain trails above to convince us of the in- 
feriority of our big, grain-fed Eastern horses for the 
sort of work before them, when we spied our oVl 
Sergeant "Pat," then Lieutenant Patterson, scat- 



An Errand of Mercy 24^ 

tering the echoes as he thundered down the pass. 
In his upHfted right hand a large silver mounted 
flask winked and bhnked in the sifted sunHght, Hke 
a hehograph flashing a message of hope. 

Knowing our needs of old, this genial and kind- 
hearted officer did not wish us to remain in suspense 
an unnecessary moment. These circumstances, 
though trivial, made a lasting impression. 

Lieutenant Patterson would have been welcome 
without that flask— any man with it would have 
been cordially greeted— but the combination was so 
strong that in his emotion my companion left me 
something less than a fair-sized drink. Soon we 
parted, we with sufficiently specific instructions in 
regard to the road to enable us to lose it with ease; 
our gallant lieutenant on his way to his celebrated 
adventure with the highwayman, full particulars of 
which remain still to be disclosed. 

As we mounted higher along the winding road, 
cut into the sides of the tree-covered mountains and 
stretching in broad, sweeping curves toward the 
higher ridges, two Red Cross ambulances, drawn by 
mules driven four-in-hand, came tumbling do^vn 
on us. 

The rapid trot maintained in defiance of the preci- 
pices flanking the road on the right soon brought 
them to where we waited. In the ambulances lay 



244 History of Troop "A" 

Adee. Clark and Pinchot, worn, sallow and with 
the fever dancing in their eyes. After greetings 
were exchanged with our boys then en route for 
the sea, the hospital ship and the United States, we 
explained our errand to the surgeon in charge, 
Major Cole, and coaxed him to permit us to turn 
over to him a hundred pounds of ice for our own 
boys' use and thence proceed with the remainder 
to'the hospitals in Adjuntas, which place we desired 
very greatly to visit. This he kindly acceded to, 
and even agreed to square matters with our 

officer. 

Onward gleefully, the load of responsibility on 
our minds gone, and that on the mules, responsive 
to the genial smile of the August sun, rapidly fol- 
lowing suit, we had again advanced but a few hun- 
dred yards when the fine road became broken and 
uneven, soon to degenerate into a mere mountain 
trail, and that none of the best, while the steep in- 
cline began to tell on our cattle, which soon showed 
such signs of distress that we were frequently com- 
pelled to halt. 

For miles along the ridges the trail from a scemc 
point of view is unsurpassed, but is of Httle use for 
military purposes. Often the grades were so steep, 
and the red clay, softened by weeks of tropical ram, 
so yielding, that to have dragged heavy ordnance 



An Errand of Mercy 245 

or supply-trains up there would have been to emu- 
late the historic passage of the Alps. Many posi- 
tions offering advantages for a stubborn resistance 
had been entirely neglected. Two or three machine 
guns supported by a battalion of infantry on a par 
with our own regulars at any of these points could 
have checked successfully the advance of an army 
corps, the more so as both flanks were in many cases 
protected by precipices and the positions too high 
to be commanded from adjacent peaks. The enemy, 
by permitting our lines to be advanced right across 
the island from Ponce to Arecibo, without taking 
advantage of the nature of the country to hinder and 
harass our troops, again demonstrated that scien- 
tific aggressive campaigning is not the forte of the 
Spanish army. , ,,„ 

The rest of our day's march to Adjuntas revealed 
nothing of interest except one instance of the won- 
derful memory of pack mules. The latter, to our 
astonishment, suddenly turned out of the trail and 
attempted to take a side path up an adjacent peak. 
The mule whackers explained that several weeks 
before, these very mules had stopped there for the 
night and had been allowed to graze on that par- 
ticular slope. 

About five P. M. our party drew up to the hotel, 
which we made our temporary headquarters. We 



246 History of Troop "A" 

found later that General Stone had conceived the 
same brilliant idea. 

I omitted to say that previously we had turned 
over to the surgeon in charge of the typhoid fever 
hospital all the ice except the small portion we per- 
suaded ourselves to retain for its well known cool- 
ing influence upon the claret we anticipated with 
our dinner. 

Finding upon inquiry in the various languages at 
our command that the hotel bedroom had been re- 
sented for General Stone, it was only by showing 
Private Blake's tattoo marks and the proofs of his 
identity carried conspicuously upon his person that 
we convinced the proprietress and her good-looking 
daughter that '^General" Blake was really Stone's 
superior officer, thus acquiring the bedroom. After 
regaling ourselves with a bath in the only bathtub in 
Puerto Rico (we didn't learn that it had been used to 
wash typhoid patients in until afterward), and hav- 
ing been duly operated upon by the village barber, 
we sent, wdth General Blake's compliments, to the 
regular army colonel and captain also stopping at 
the hotel enough ice to insure the invitation to dine 
with them, which we gladly accepted. 

The only thing of real interest occurring that 
night, except our sleeping in beds, was the capture 
of a Spanish spy. This was accomplished with great 



An Errand of Mercy 247 

ease by less than twenty of the local police, the man 
being small in stature and unarmed. Never have I 
seen but one man who could assume the Napoleonic 
attitude of the little corporal of volunteers that 
guarded the captive while the colonel (holding a 
temporary court in the hotel dining-room) divided 
his attention between a big cigar and the prisoner's 
examination. The balance of the evening we put 
in strolling around the town, sticking out our chests 
and looking contemptuously at the undersized na- 
tives. The burning and slaughter of the village by 
the guerillas being again confidently looked forward 
to by all the natives, including the village priest and 
the alcalde, we strolled about looking for trouble 
and hoping not to find it. We didn't. 

That priest, by the way, although a Spaniard, had 
been doing most of the nursing of the typhoid men 
in the little provisional hospital established in 
Adjuntas. 

Rising next morning from a refreshing sleep 
we spent some hours exploring the church, outside 
of which, in the road, a poor little village girl lay 
dead. Inside all the female saints in plaster had on 
red flannel petticoats and gilt paper crowns of much 
magnificence; the former struck us as inappropriate 
in so warm a climate. The school next claimed our 
attention, and from what we saw the scholars were 



248 History of Troop "A" 

attentive and disciplined, though ranging in color 
from the yellow pine of Castile to the mahogany of 
Africa. Our chargers having been brought during 
the interim to the door, we turned back to Ponce 
amid no more interest on the part of the populace 
than was entirely agreeable to us. 

But two other incidents remain to be related. 
One tended to illustrate the characteristic cruelty 
and thoughtlessness of the natives, as much, per- 
haps, engendered by the reception of a similar 
treatment inflicted upon themselves by their op- 
pressors, as inherent in a low caste type. It con- 
sisted in the abandonment upon the blazing hot, 
sunbaked road of an ox, whose head was twisted 
two-thirds of the way around by the weight of 
the ponderous wooden collar used to yoke them 
in pairs, from the thrall of which his happier fellow 
had been released. Had the man guilty of this 
wanton barbarity been at hand Blake would have 
killed him — he even admitted as much to me. 

The other incident was very exciting. About 
four miles out from Adjuntas and while we were 
alone and unprotected, the three mule-skinners be- 
ing far in the rear, there appeared upon the road 
four men clad all in white and of dark and sinister 
appearance. In their hands, held behind their backs, 
lurked doubtless the keen-edged machete. We ap- 



An Errand of Mercy 240 

proached them warily, whereupon their manner be- 
came even more suspicious, and it was not until we 
caught sight of the umbrella that each carried in his 
hand, that the tension upon our nerves was re- 
laxed. Afterward, upon comparing notes, we real- 
ized the immense value of four months of military 
experience and the lectures upon the art of war as 
she is waged in books, that we had listened to with 
such interest at the mess tent in Alger. We had 
each, in the half minute it took the supposed enemy 
to approach, formulated a plan so daringly brilliant 
in conception that either, even without the other's 
aid, could have annihilated the common foe. 

That night we arrived in Ponce in time to partici- 
pate in the glorious rescue of the town of Santa 
Isabel, which was being burned and ravaged bv 
spooks. 




•a 
u 

c 




#• I 



Santa Isabel 



Henry I. Riker. 

"The clarions blared, the beacons flared 
They come!' the wardour cried; 
Keene at the calle, ycleppit alle, 
Our menne at armes replied ; 

Through gates wide-swung^ out poured our throng- 
JNo foemanne met our ken— ' 

With fantome hostes of formelesse ghostes 
We foughte, and nott with menne." 

— The Gobblynnes' Foray. 
" In the midnight rings the trumpet 
'Boots and Saddles' sings it loudly 
Forth we gallop through the darkness, 
Forth to save Sant' Isabella." 

—Long after Longfellow. 

FEW minutes after midnight, Au- 
gust 22, the trumpet blew "Boots 
and Saddles," and at a quarter-past 
twelve all troopers not on guard or 
details rode out of camp fully armed 
to find the trouble. 

The night was clear, but moon- 
^ess, and it required only a moment 
to find our road that ran east beside the ocean In 
getting clear of Ponce Lieutenant Coudert threw 
out the point under Sergeant Cammann with or- 
ders to trot out— and it did. 




252 History of Troop "A" 

Once well settled down to the gait, Rumor an- 
nounced that Santa Isabel was our objective, a 
furious mob of Spanish guerillas being then happily 
engaged in killing, burning and ravishing. 

Three hours were passed at the trot, our pace 
gradually increasing with the impatience of the 
men, the point never relaxing its efforts to main- 
tain the proper distance from the column, while 
some of the more poorly mounted troopers tailed 
out behind, until, having passed a long causeway 
with swamps on both sides, lights were seen ahead 
and, advancing more cautiously, the point well 
scattered and with pistols raised, slowly stalked 
the approaching light — bah! It was nothing but 
a wagon team conducted by a lot of startled na- 
tives. On again, faster than before, on account of 
the slight check, and soon several lights ahead were 
sighted — at last we had reached the outskirts of 
Santa Isabel. Then the troop closed up and, riding 
as silently as horsemen can, we entered the sleeping 
town. 

A solitary policeman was held up and, after the 
manner of his kind, swore he knew of no disturb- 
ance, but Salinas was only two miles away. More- 
over, Salinas was a very bad place; the trouble 
might have occurred there. So a small party was 
pushed out to look up Salinas' moral character. In 



Santa Isabel 2C'3 

the meantime all the roads leading into the town 
were occupied by Cossack posts, and the two Signal 
Corps officers who accompanied us shinned up the 
telegraph poles to tell General Wilson that some 
one had played a joke on him and there was no 
trouble in sight. The General kept his temper ad- 
mirably for one wakened at three in the morning, 
and in a few honeyed words thanked us back over 
the wire for our speed and good work, and ordered 
us to return when we felt like it. 

About five the Salinas party returned, having 
ridden toward the east for an hour without discov- 
ering any sign of a tow, and the horses growing 
so tired they could not be forced into a trot. 

When reveille sounded we found a long table cov- 
ered with heaps of bread, bowls of coffee and 
baskets of eggs, placed in the beautiful public 
square, surrounded by all kinds of lovely tropical 
flowers and palms. We owed this to the fore- 
thought of our lieutenant in selecting the Alien as 
commissary. After five minutes' conversation the 
Alcalde family believed the Alien to be his long lost 
brother, and it took little longer to establish his re- 
lationship as brother-in-law to the rest of the troop. 
After breakfast, "Lobster" and some of the other 
swell horses were taken out to graze by their kind 
masters, while all the wise and wicked troopers 



254 History of Troop "A" 

stuck close to the trumpeter and listened to the 
''Robber's" dehghtful narration of a hanging in 
New Mexico. You all remember the one that began 
with "When I was in the Fourth Cavalry," and ended 
"I didn't sleep for weeks afterward." 

About eight o'clock the return trip started, and, 
with the wind behind us, it was fierce indeed. 
After about two hours the road ran very close to the 
ocean, and on our commander's remarking how nice 
it would be to have a swim, our smiles of approval 
suddenly darkened the heavens. Then we bathed — 
my, how we did bathe! It was about this time that 
a very long-legged crane came mighty near being- 
hit by a stray shot — he outgeneralled us by flying 
straight inland, and we didn't dare fire for fear of 
hitting some Spanish General in San Juan, thus 
putting an end to the truce. 

Two o'clock saw us in camp — horses in good con- 
dition, although forty-eight miles in fourteen hours 
is not bad going for the midsummer tropics. 




NATIVK CK()SSIN(; A Kl VI'; K— l'( )H TO KICO 



idiiuBaai^liLite 




J^fq^&t:-.!^^ 



S\VI.\l.MIN(i Tllli HOUSES — I'LAYA DE PONCE 



Detail to Utuado 



Frank Outerbridge. 

" This way has been traversed by more than one, 
But we shall find, before this chapter's done, 
That the same scenes, when seen by different eyes, 
Cause new and pleasing pictures to arise." 

— The Troubadour. 

URING the first weeks in 
Ponce we had lived in hopes 
of getting onto a firing-line 
somewhere, but when the 
Protocol was signed all 
prospects of a scrap seemed 
to have vanished. Our 
spirits of excitement were 
replaced by longings to get 
back where we belonged — "Home" — and the least 
change was welcomed by all. 

The trip to Coamo and one or two short rides 
braced us up for the time being, but on returning to 
the pasture at Ponce it did not take long for us 
all to fall back into the old restless spirit of con- 
trolled discontent. Finally orders came for fifteen 
men to escort funds into the interior. 

We had not been paid since June, but there were 




256 ^ History of Troop "A" 

large amounts of "good will" going to the natives, 
and I fancy Uncle Sam paid well and promptly for 
all damage, rental and just debts contracted with 
them. It was this that we were to see safely over 
the mountains. 

At retreat (August 22nd) the roster of the detail, 
headed by Sergeant Stowe Phelps, was read off, and 
we turned in shortly afterward, full of expectations 
for another move. 

About one o'clock in the morning I was awakened 
by a few scurrying footsteps and the flicker of a lan- 
tern. Subdued voices in hurried conversation were 
soon entirely drowned by "boots and saddles." I 
could not find out anything definite as to who was 
wanted, but there was a fire somewhere and a native 
riot which we were supposed to subdue. This was 
all very vague, and I was extremely sleepy, so, with 
the excuse of previous orders to satisfy my con- 
science, I turned in once more to sleep out the re- 
mainder of the night. 

Dawn came at last, with all the warmth and clear- 
ness of the tropics, but there was only a small hand- 
ful of men to answer roll call, most of our force hav- 
ing left shortly after one, among them some of those 
just detailed for the trip to the interior. However, 
we had the required number and a few to leave be- 
hind, so we filed out of our lot by half-past seven 



Detail to Utuado 257 

A.M., the detail consisting of Sergeant Phelps, Ser- 
geant E. M. Ward, Corporal Ruland, Farrier Muller 
and Privates Brown, Drake, Littell, Little, Lockett, 
McKinlay, Outerbridge, Troescher, Valentine and 
Wharton. 

Going a few blocks into town we were halted in 
front of the Hotel Francais and left to swelter, the 
approaching noonday sun beating down upon us as 
we were seated on the curbs of that narrow street, 
well protected from every breeze. 

It was eleven o'clock when the money was finally 
packed in two small boxes, loaded into an army 
wagon, and General Garretson and an aide. Lieu- 
tenant Langhorne, of the First United States Cav- 
alry, settled themselves in their carriage. 

We had soon left the alley-like streets of Ponce 
behind us, and took up a good trot on a fine broad 
macadamized road running directly north, and by 
a gradual ascent reached the first mountain range of 
the interior of Porto Rico. The good road did not 
continue far beyond the foot hills, and when fairly on 
the mountain side it became a mere trail, upward 
and tortuous. We had no shelter, and the sun was 
scorching. Our lunch was eaten in the saddle, and 
consisted of a sandwich, half warmed through, hav- 
ing been carried in our saddle bags. Others had 
some chocolate, and a few cans of sardines were 



258 History of Troop "A" 

shared by the epicures. We were fortunate in being 
able to assuage our thirst at cool, crystal threads 
of water, which flowed from the rocks over a 
banana leaf for a spigot. By four o'clock we reached 
the first crest, from which we could see a plateau, 
like a great arena, in the centre of which was Ad- 
juntas, and thither we descended. 

So far the road had been quite free from habita- 
tions, but beyond the crest we came to scattered 
huts and small settlements, from which we received 
a curious and rather happy welcome. After a day 
in the sun and frequent showers, and a march of 
about twenty-two miles over the mountains, we de- 
livered our charge to the store-room of Adjuntas at 
half-past five, and were glad to picket our horses 
alongside another detail from our troop, the Fre- 
linghuysen Lancers and B Troop of the Second. 
Our camp was made on the gravel walks of a small 
public square filled with many flowering plants, and 
about which the poor town was built. Bacon and 
beans were served hot, and after that welcome re- 
past few of us lingered longer than to smoke a cigar 
and take a cooling drink in one or other of two ho- 
tels facing the square, before turning in, some under 
canvas, others on the porches of nearby buildings. 

The second day of our trip dawned very hot. The 
regulars and Lieutenant Frelinghuysen and Ser- 



Detail to Utuado 259 

geant Cromwell, with their men, left us early, and 
our morning was spent counting over the money 
and hunting in the pawn-shops for souvenirs. Just 
as we were about to start for Utuado a telegram 
arrived ordering us back to Ponce at once to embark 
for home. This was joyful news, but nevertheless we 
did not want to give up our trip. Lieutenant Lang- 
horne was told the situation, and so said he would 
"order" us to proceed with him, which took the 
responsibility ofif our hands. In the meantime the 
telegram had been sent ahead by messenger to Lieu- 
tenant Frelinghuysen, and we shortly met him re- 
turning. He suggested our immediate return, but 
Lieutenant Langhorne knew his part and replied 
that we were ordered to Utuado, and we went. 

Later General Guy Henr>^ and still later his as- 
sistant adjutant-general, passed and inquired why 
we had not returned to Ponce; but they made no ob- 
jection to our lieutenant's explanation, and we pro- 
ceeded through the same sort of bold country as we 
had come through the day before. Early in the 
afternoon we were led ofY the main road to Senor 
Rivera's coffee "hacienda." The house was a large 
wooden building, with cool verandas commanding 
an extensive panoramic view. Not only the entire 
menage, but the members of the family, set to work 
and served us coffee, cocoanuts and cake. We 



26o History of Troop "A" 

helped ourselves to most delicious oranges from the 
trees about the place, and while having a quiet 
smoke in easy-chairs Stowe Phelps and Senorita 
Carmencita enlivened our spirits by playing duets 
on a splendid tin-panny upright. Really, Stowe 
made quite an impression, not to speak of sundry 
pretty speeches translated into Spanish by means 
of his phrase book. The time was short and we 
made a start, but the ubiquitous camera fiend in the 
person of Irving Ruland held us up. I must confess 
the Senorita's blushes, when Stowe insisted on her 
standing beside him in the foreground, were well 
worth the delay. 

It was four o'clock when we rode through the 
outskirts of Utuado in as hard a tropical rain as we 
had yet seen, and crowded for shelter under the shed 
of one of the many abandoned sugar mills alongside 
the General's headquarters. The shower over, we 
looked about for a camping-ground, and finally de- 
cided to go into town and join Captain Hoppin's 
troop. 

Our horses were tethered a mile out of the town, 
and we settled ourselves on the bare floor of an 
empty storehouse, which had been put at our dis- 
posal by the owner. The regulars had their horses 
on a line in the court-yard of a large stone edifice, in 
which they were quartered, and which was also used 



Detail to Utuado 261 

as a guard-house. Finding ourselves in good com- 
pany, we posted a strong guard (?) and searched the 
town. 

The buildings were very pretentious, and the in- 
habitants quite prosperous. The Cathedral was the 
finest we had yet seen, and was raised ten or fifteen 
steps above a large open park, laid out in extensive 
flower gardens. 

Most of us came to an early conclusion that the 
conditions were not quite identical with sight-seeing 
during a summer's vacation in Europe, and, after a 
hearty meal in the swell hotel we spent a short and 
quiet evening. Lieutenant Langhorne honored us 
with a call, and a small crowd, accompanied by Cap- 
tain Hoppin's interpreter, a Cuban refugee, called 
on the swells of the town. The parlor doors opened 
directly on to the sidewalk, and into one we walked, 
drew out our phrase books, said ''Buenos tardes," 
and made ourselves comfortable. 

There were the father, mother and two daughters, 
and they seemed pleased to have such distinguished 
visitors. At all events, the youngest daughter, a 
really charming muchacha, sang to her own accom- 
paniment on her guitar, until we felt the idea of an 
early start next morning resting upon our eyelids. 

We left the slaughter-house, bedecked with souve- 
nirs, the next morning at seven. The cool, clear 



262 History of Troop "A" 

atmosphere of that high altitude had braced us, and 
our horses were game for the hardest ride they had 
yet been over. At the outskirts of the city we passed 
a cemetery on our left enclosed by a stone wall, 
which was completely loopholed, and on our right 
was a steep spur some fifty feet high. The cemetery 
had been converted into a fort, and the spur was 
mounted with a couple of Spanish guns, so as to 
completely cover an iron bridge and all roads from 
the north, west and south leading into Utuado. This 
was the last sight we had to remind us of the war, 
and from here our road was to retrace our steps of 
the past few days. Up one mountain, down into the 
arena of Adjuntas, up and out on the other side and 
the long road down to Ponce. That day's ride was 
not far from forty miles, and we covered it in ten 
hours' riding, arriving in our old field at six o'clock. 




A I'OKTO KICAN FUNERAL 




:„. „,.:ma,ns of a s.an.sh ,<..:.m>knc. ahtkk thk ..ke at coto 



Detail to Goto 




John D. Lannon. 

" We were sent to Goto, for Goto had been burnt, 
But not by any human being, so far as could be learnt." 

— The Brigand's Farewell. 

IVILIANS don't quite under- 
stand the first beginnings of 
things in the army; that's why 
there were so many surprised 
citizens in the United States 
in the summer of 1898. 
That also is the reason why 
so many Troop "A" men learned useful lessons; 
therefore when there is talk of selecting a "de- 
tail" it is well to tell what detail means. In 
a few words, a detail means a small body of men 
under a lieutenant or a non-commissioned officer, 
picked either because of fitness for the particular 
work or because of being next in rotation on the 
roster, for some detached duty out of the regular 
routine of camp. 

We had been camping near that dream of a semi- 
tropical city, Ponce, for a long, long time. We had 



264 History of Troop "A" 

heard of the signing of the Peace Protocol and were 
silently awaiting the orders for home. 

At parade on the evening of August 23rd we were 
told that three details were to be sent out on the 
following day. One of these was under command 
of Sergeant Cammann and was made up of the fol- 
lowing men: Corporal Huntington, Privates Hill, 
Hildreth, Horner, Holt, Hoeninghaus, Knudsen, 
Lannon, Ledyard, Mills and Stevens. 

This was welcome news to the men, as camp rou- 
tine had gotten wearisome, and something was 
needed to drag them from the lethargy that comes 
of idleness. 

The orders were for an early start in the morn- 
ing. In such cases your wise trooper makes all his 
preparations the evening before — getting his stuff 
in readiness, packing loose articles and stowing 
away what grub can be found or stolen for that 
rainy day which is always imminent in the army. 
These precautions also insure one's being on time 
and not being '"severely dealt with." 

Up at "reveille," "mess," then "boots and sad- 
dles," and we are off up the military road. The 
orders to the sergeant in charge were to proceed to 
the headquarters of General Wilson for further in- 
structions. We rode along through the streets of 
Ponce, by that time thoroughly familiar with their 



Detail to Goto 265 

quaint, romantic looking houses and exceptionally 
bad odors, to General Wilson's headquarters, which 
were about half a mile beyond Ponce in a field on the 
right of the road, where the First regiment of New 
York Volunteer Engineers were camping, and at 
that particular time being initiated into the mys- 
teries of the Krag-Jorgensen rifle. Incidentally 
they didn't seem to be enjoying it particularly. 

Here we were halted and ordered to wait — wait- 
ing takes up the greater part of one's time in the 
army. We waited for orders to take the field; we 
waited for a long time at Camp Black for orders to 
leave; we waited for orders at Camp Alger, and we 
waited for orders to go to the front; we waited for 
the train at Dunn Loring, and for the transport at 
Newport News. To add to our misery we ran 
aground outside of Ponce, and waited to be pulled 
ofif. Then we grew sick waiting at Ponce for the 
orders to the front which never came, and when we 
heard that the Protocol was signed we commenced 
the hardest wait of all — the long wait for orders for 
home. It's good discipline, but hard to acquire as a 
habit. 

The orders were to go under command of Captain 
Latrobe, of General Wilson's stalT, to Goto, a small 
town about five miles from Ponce. This town had 
been burned by some renegades, either Spanish or 



266 History of Troop "A" 

native, out of pure maliciousness, or to bring the 
Americans into bad repute. We had passed it a few 
days before on one of our marches; it was a pretty 
little place, and seemed from the road to be quite the 
cleanest village we had seen on the island. 

Our further instructions were to discover, if pos- 
sible, the incendiaries and arrest them, and to pub- 
lish through the different plantations a proclama- 
tion regarding the protection of property by the 
United States forces, and stating that the people 
would be held responsible for the maintenance of 
order. 

After receiving instructions we started, taking up 
again our march over the militarv'- road. The scenery 
along this road is beautiful. Now and then the sea 
can be seen two or three miles away to the right, 
anH far out a huge rock, which rises majestically 
from the ocean like a grim sentinel. 

The peculiar charm of the tropics lies in its con- 
trasts; everything runs to violent colors — nature 
and man — and everything is more accentuated than 
in other regions. 

Through such country we rode for six miles be- 
fore we reached Coto. We camped in the yard of 
one of the burned buildings, an admirable camping 
place, or at least a very comfortable one, and we 
were not particularly fastidious at that stage of the 
game. 



Detail to Goto 267 

The burned building was immediately on the road, 
while in the yard behind it there were the remains 
of what had been a fountain, very well built, and 
behind this at some little distance was an old tum- 
ble down shed which had been used as a stable, not 
lately, I am very glad to say. Some troughs ran 
along the rear of this shed and, as we afterward 
found out, made, when half filled with hay, excellent 
beds, much better than the ground. We brought 
the mule team into the yard, put up our conical tent 
near the fountain, stretched a picket Hne, made a fire 
and camp was ready. 

Behind the shed there was a large field, which we 
used as a grazing ground for our horses. 

We arrived early in the forenoon, and immediate- 
ly after making camp a few men were selected to go 
around to the different plantations and through the 
town to publish the proclamation.* 

Sergeant Cammann went first to a plantation 
called Hacienda Saurel and there explained to the 
major domo (the overseer) the nature of his mis- 
sion. The major domo was well pleased with the 
proclamation, and in Spanish, with which some of 
the men had become slightly familiar, praised a gov- 
ernment that looked after its people and their prop- 

* See following page. 



COARTIt 6SHBRAL BSL ESTABO ASAYOS 

IZ'u hATOTl GEKE«4L IflUOS, 

Aflosto 24 d« 1838, 

(!(y){»ndo llsgado noticlia 4 «6'te CuarUl Gen^ral-da eiertoe iesmar.ca 

5 cw^ndzas ei la fTanvr.eld ie Poii«« , 
SE WACS SABBR AL PUBL;03 . 
One lo8 Esfadoa Urndos de A^ji«rtca prs8tor47i la debidd prof«cc*o/» 
<l la projytedad "U laa pefatnaa it todoa los residentes de estd frcv'incid 
contra toio ataoue ,ya s$a de parte de loa Aiericanoa ,cono loa £apa!io_ 
les 6 Pue^to-RigueHos ; y caetigari S los cutpables con todo et I'igaf 
de lo ley i( <id«'sd8 , «i 8« diass cuenfa de ro'ooa , fuegoe a lo pro_ 
fisidd 6 euatquiefa otro daeajuefo, \os haWantea eerin /respsflsd^ 
ilea poT wo hafcsrto i«p8didd,u ai no /lan arr^stado y detmidftf' 
lo.8 calliecliorea eeri/i seusraaente eastijados . 



CapHtn del Satado Mayor 
del fieneral Wil8on' 



del seneral wtteon;;. 



[TRANSLATION] 

General Headquarters of 
Major-General Wilson's Staff. 

August 24, 1899. 
Advices having reached these Headquarters of certain calamities 
and threats in the Province of Ponce, we 

MAKE IT KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC 
That the United States of America lends due protection to personal 
property to all the residents of this Province from attacks on the part 
either of Americans, Spaniards, or Puerto Ricans ; and all culpable 
parties will be punished with the full force of the law, and besides if 
any notice is given as to robberies, setting fire to property, or any 
other outrage, the inhabitants will be responsible for not having im- 
peded same, and if they have not arrested and detained the offenders 
they will be severely punished. 

(Signed) Osman Latrobe, 

Captain Fourth U. S. V. Infantry, 
Of General IVi/son's Staff. 



Detail to Goto 269 

erty so well. He then gave orders to assemble the 
people. This was done by ringing a huge bell or 
gong, and they came trooping in from the fields. 
When they were assembled, the major domo him- 
self read the proclamation, and we could gather 
from the expressions of their faces that it was as un- 
usual as it was pleasant to hear that they— the sov- 
ereign people— would "be held responsible for the 
preservation of order." 

The people on these plantations live most simply. 
Their food, consisting chiefly of bananas, cocoanuts 
and other fruits, comes from the untilled earth. 
Their clothes are a few rags; they live in huts, simple 
to a degree— a box raised on four piles, with an open- 
mg or two for doors and windows. The few neces- 
saries used which are not raised on the island are 
bought at the store at the refinery, run by the owner 
of the plantation, where he probably gets back all 
the money paid out in wages. 

We stayed at this plantation for a short time only, 
and incidentally had the pleasure of declining a 
drink of rum, which is the chief intoxicant of the 
island. 

That afternoon we witnessed a native funeral. 
Four men were carrying on their shoulders what 
seemed like a stretcher, and on this a small coffin, 
with a few wild flowers on top. The men evidently 



270 History of Troop "A" 

were dressed in their best clothes and came down the 
road chatting and laughing away and all but roy- 
stering as they carried their friend to his last resting 
place. 

Later on we raced the little native ponies, to the 
great delight of the islanders, though one had to 
hold one's feet up to keep them from hitting the 
ground. These ponies, though small, are remark- 
able for their endurance. Their usual gait is what is 
known in "Ole Kentucky" as a "rack," or "single 
foot." The motion is exactly like that of a rocking 
chair, and to see a big Dago sitting calmly smoking 
a cigar on one of these rats is rather a ludicrous 
sight. 

That evening we had our mess at the usual hour, 
but it was not the usual mess. Our new chefs, 
Knudsen and Hoeninghaus, covered themselves 
with glory, and gave us the best meal we had on the 
island, not even excepting those of Madame of 
the Hotel Francais in Ponce. Bacon that before 
had been unpalatable, beans that no one would eat, 
became under their magic touch the most tempting 
and delicious of morsels, and when they had used up 
the army rations they went out into the highways 
and byways and procured delicacies of which we had 
never heard. They turned that sturdy article of 
diet — the hardtack — into a most palatable dainty by 



Detail to Goto 271 

frying it in bacon grease and serving it under the 
regular army name. 

Just before mess Corporal Huntington, who had 
been through the different plantations reading the 
proclamation, returned. He had had some curious 
experiences, but none more unique than that at a 
plantation where no one could be found who could 
read except a small child of ten or eleven years. The 
big bell rang out the summons calling the people to- 
gether, who came to hear from the lips of this child 
of ten or eleven, the words of the representative of 
the greatest nation in the world; and two dusty, 
tired troopers looked on, while the mother of the in- 
fant prodigy fairly glowed with delight. 

After evening mess we sat around smoking and 
chatting, and just after night had fallen— there is no 
twilight in Puerto Rico— we were suddenly startled 
by firing, down the road; it seemed about half a mile 
away. We began to wonder if we were going to have 
a scrap, or if this was another of the many false 
alarms that we had been following for two months 
in the hope of a fight. Two of the men in their 
excitement jumped for their saddles and commenced 
saddling up, but the sergeant in command promptly 
called them down, inquiring in a very mild way if 
any orders had been given. He then took one of 
the men and went off down the road to find out the 



272 History of Troop "A" 

trouble. Diligent inquiry among the natives elic- 
ited no information, but by and by a man came along 
on horseback from that direction and said it was only 
a drunken wagon driver, shooting his pistol for fun. 

We turned in soon afterward, some in the tent and 
others in the trough. To do guard duty on such a 
night was a pleasure. The full moon shedding its 
light on the mountains behind us, the burned village 
at our feet, the horses picketed, and the men sleep- 
ing made a very pretty picture, and in the silence of 
the night an impressive one. 

Too soon for the tired men the day came. A few 
more plantations were visited, and that part of our 
work was done. As to the first part of it, the dis- 
covery of the incendiaries, nothing could be found 
out about them, and, judging from the stories of the 
people who were interviewed, the entire population 
of Coto, men, women and children, had spent the 
night of the fire away from home, mostly at Ponce. 

Captain Latrobe came back about ten o'clock 
and, after hearing the report of the sergeant, ordered 
us to go back to our main camp at our convenience 
during the day. 

The little natives were most interesting. They 
would talk to us in Spanish and in the few words of 
English they had picked up, and seemed to enjoy 
themselves immensely. One bright-eyed little fel- 



Detail to Goto 273 

low in particulai" was interested in everything; he 
would sing out "Viva Americanos!" and then he 
acted a little farce by ridiculous comparison of the 
Spanish and American soldiers. "Soldado Espanol," 
raising his hands about five feet three inches to show 
the height of the Spanish soldier. "Soldado Amer- 
icano," measuring as high as he could and puffing 
out his chest. "Soldado Espanol mucho malo" (no 
good), with a contemptuous shrug of his shoulders. 
"Soldados Americanos mucho' bueno (very fine). 
Soldados Americanos bing! bing! (the sound of a 
gun); Solda Espanoles fueran," and then he would 
make gestures to imitate Spanish soldiers running 
away as hard as they could. 

In many ways these urchins showed their con- 
tempt for the Spaniards, but the thought kept 
recurring that perhaps they would make as much 
fun of the Americans to the Spaniards if the morrow 
had brought a Spanish detail to the burned town. 

They have probably changed by now, having 
learned the ways of the Americans, but the ways of 
the half-breed Puerto Rican natives will take a good 
deal of improving before they become model citizens 
of the United States. 

About noon Troop "C," of Brooklyn, passed us, 
bound for Ponce, with orders for "Home." Up to 
that time we had not received our orders, and a blue 



274 



History of Troop "A' 



lot we were while contemplating the possibility of 
seeing them get away before us. Finally, about 
three o'clock, we saddled up and took the road back 
to Ponce. We rode quietly, enjoying, in spite of the 
heat, the mere being alive and out of doors, while 
our imaginations gave us bright glimpses of the 
streets of New York. 




The Second Invasion of 
Santa Isabel 

William R. Wright. 

" Here's a first-rate opportunity 
To get married with impunity." 

— The Pirates of Penzance. 

ATE on Tuesday, August 
23rd, notice had been given 
that three details were to be 
sent out on the morrow to 
^ip harry the country, and the 

^L usual pipe dreams were rife. 

ji^Hfl^ Reports were circulated of a 

r-L4_5|H||ll^ait^ band of bloodthirsty brig- 
ands abiding in the moun- 
tains, who were keeping the entire force of regular 
cavalry in the island at bay, and who refused to sur- 
render in the approved Spanish fashion; and more 
looted villages were mentioned by the dreamers 
than could be accommodated in an island three 
times the size of Porto Rico. Indeed, no one could 
tell but that we might again have to pull the sleep- 
ing Puerto Rico Americano from his humble bed, 



276 History of Troop "A" 

and inform him that we had been told that his village 
was a mass of smoking ruins, and that he was there- 
fore requested to step out into the public square and 
shiver in his robe de nuit, or its Spanish equivalent, 
until we were convinced that he had no intention of 
shooting us through his front door and could assure 
ourselves that his village still stood. 

However, all was settled the next morning, when 
we rode out of camp bristling with cartridges after 
the most approved form of bristle, and proceeded to 
General Wilson's headquarters, where our leaders 
left us to give that eminent officer the benefit of 
their opinions on war as such, while we smaller fry 
lined up and had our photographs taken in various 
artistic positions, according to the latest army 
methods, thereby showing that same thoughtful 
consideration for the girls we left behind us that, 
judging from the number of photographs taken un- 
der similar circumstances now in existence, has char- 
acterized the American volunteer throughout the 
whole of the late unpleasantness. 

In a few minutes the greater lights of our mili- 
tary world reappeared and informed us that the 
brigandshadgotwindof our proposed campaign, and 
chosen capture by the regulars rather than photog- 
raphy at the hands of Troop "A," but that the san- 
guinary aspirations of two out of the three details 



The Second Invasion of Santa Isabel 277 

were to be gratified by the congenial and oft-prac- 
tised task of bearing another load of proclamations 
to the inoffensive and unsuspecting natives. We 
were also joined by Captain Latrobe, of the Second 
United States Immunes, who wished to study the 
methods of the troop in their celebrated olive branch 
act; and so, bidding a fond farewell to the unfortu- 
nates who remained behind, and who, to their credit 
be it said, would have been only too glad to share 
our dangers and escape for a few days from the 
enervating luxury of the liver pies at Ponce, we 
set forth upon our perilous mission. 

Proceeding by the military road over which we 
had recently chased General Miles's elusive figure 
for so many weary leagues, we came to the burned 
village of Coto, where we picked out those whose 
blood was most sluggish and least inclined to fero- 
cious deeds, that the sight of its blackened walls 
might stir up and keep alive the necessary fire in 
their breasts. Leaving them with Sergeant Cam- 
mann, the men who were destined to perforni the 
glorious deeds of which this is the humble record 
pushed on toward San Juan. They were First Ser- 
geant Moen, Corporals Erving and Wright and 
Privates Batcheller, Bayne, Benjamin, Coyne, 
Crombie, Fisher, Gillespie, Goadby and Hall, to- 
gether with a wagon and four mules. 



278 History of Troop "A" 

At Juana Diaz Captain Latrobe showed his ap- 
preciation of the fact that an army always moves 
on its stomach by halting his forces for lunch, which 
we partook of with much reHsh at the little inn and 
with but fleeting" thoughts of the tomato omelets 
that we had left behind. We then took up the 
march again in the most cheerful frame of mind, 
it being announced that Santa Isabel was again to 
figure in history, and all of us cherishing pleasant 
memories of the pretty little village, with its flowery 
plaza, unfinished cathedral and hospitable Mayor 
and townspeople. On our way we proceeded to 
spread news of our arrival by sending out details 
to visit the plantations we passed with a proclama- 
tion from General Wilson assuring all that they 
must at once become peace-at-any-price men; 
otherwise they would either be shot or hung, ac- 
cording to their style of architecture and the time 
at the disposal of the troop. This polite language 
seemed to please the readers so much that they 
always pressed us to step in and dine, whether 
from hospitality or a desire to sandbag us we 
cannot say. 

Arriving at Santa Isabel late in the afternoon, 
we pitched our camp in the shadow of the cathe- 
dral, where it was at once surrounded by a dense 
crowd, who there^iter superintended our every op- 



The Second Invasion of Santa Isabel 279 

eration, from putting on our shoes to tying our 
neckerchiefs, and when Fisher calmly appropriated 
the village druggist's best pony and rode down to 
the shore for a swim he rivalled Captain Good, of 
blessed memory, in the admiration excited by his 
"beautiful white legs." Our reputation from that 
time on was firmly established. 

After supper the Alcalde and his interpreter vis- 
ited our camp to give us a more impressive wel- 
come than the hasty one accorded us on our arrival 
and to talk with our leader as to the reasons and 
purposes of our visit. He found the military dis- 
trict of Santa Isabel in full working order, with Ser- 
geant Moen as Military Governor, Corporal Wright 
as his Secretary of War (with particular instruc- 
tions to protect Arthur Goadby and Crombie from 
the wiles of the fair muchachas to the best of his 
ability), and Sherman Hall in the onerous position 
of Commissary General, with Coyne and Benjamin 
as assistants. 

About this time Corporal Erving was taken ill, 
slung his hammock under the bell-tower and re- 
tired to it for the balance of our stay, to his own 
great discomfort, but to the eternal admiration of 
the natives, who gazed open-mouthed upon his ma- 
jestic reclining figure. He still contributed greatly 
to our comfort, since he allowed no choir-boy to 



28o History of Troop "A" 

climb the tower and ring the bell for vespers or 
any other service unless they previously promised 
to cut it short. 

At nightfall we established what we have since 
discovered from the "Manual of Guard Duty" was 
a running guard, but which in our ignorance at that 
time we hailed as a striking manifestation of genius 
on the part of Ren Moen, and the corporal of the 
guard having instructed his men how to challenge 
in the Spanish language any unexpected and im- 
probable sight, from a guerilla to a trolley-car, we 
all retired to rest, or, rather, to the duty of giving 
the mosquitoes their daily nourishment, which takes 
the place of rest in Puerto Rico. 

The succeeding day passed most pleasantly, yet 
not uneventfully, the affair of the greatest moment 
being the receipt by Sergeant Moen, through the 
interpreter, of an ofifer of marriage from one of the 
fair dames of the town. She also expressed her- 
self as much taken by Ross Bayne's beard, Louis 
Gillespie's whiskers and Harry Batcheller's tout en- 
semble, but it was evident that she considered Ren 
as head and shoulders above all. As he protested 
that he was unworthy of the honor, the match fell 
through. 

The Alcalde called again in the morning and found 
the official photographers busily engaged in per- 



The Second Invasion of Santa Isabel 281 

petuating historical localities. Being a picturesque 
old gentleman, he was at once seized by these zeal- 
ous officials, and will go down to posterity seated 
in the plaza between Sergeant Moen and the in- 
terpreter, with a decidedly anxious expression on 
his face, as though uncertain how painful the opera- 
tion might be. It however turned out so pleas- 
antly that he besought the artist to come down to 
his residence that afternoon and initiate the bal- 
ance of a numerous family into its mysteries. 

To keep in with the authorities our leader made 
this courteous and long-suf¥ering gentleman an elo- 
quent speech before his departure in the morning, 
which was Hstened tO' with rapt attention by half the 
population of Santa Isabel and apparently lost none 
of its effect by being entirely unintelhgible to them. 
At its conclusion he produced a tin of corned beef 
and a can of tomatoes, which he bestowed upon the 
delighted Mayor amid the cheers of the enthusiastic 
populace. For some time it seemed as if the old 
gentleman was completely overpowered by the 
magnificence and munificence of the gift, but he 
rallied and reciprocated with a cheese and a pot of 
jam, which will cause his name to be ever blessed 
among the recipients. 

About noon we moved our headquarters, the Sec- 
retary of War being dissatisfied with the defences 



282 History of Troop "A" 

of his camp, and on inspecting the unfinished cathe- 
dral decided that both for habitation and defence it 
was unsurpassed. So' we at once transferred our- 
selves and our baggage, and subsequently passed 
therein one of the most comfortable nights since 
our departure from New York. 

Captain Latrobe had left camp early in the morn- 
ing, taking with him Privates Benjamin and Goad- 
by, for the purpose of capturing a notorious brig- 
and who had made his lair on the Ponce road. The 
brave little party carefully reconnoitred the place, 
and after an advance conducted after the most ap- 
proved styles of modern warfare charged and cap- 
tured it, only to find that their reputation had again 
preceded them and their quarry had sailed away the 
previous day to a neighboring island, whereupon, 
realizing the truth of the axiom that "Cavalry can 
fight anywhere except on the sea," Captain Latrobe 
departed for Ponce and sent his army back to Santa 
Isabel, where they arrived unharmed and reported 
that he had been unstinted in his praise of their 
bravery and efficiency. 

During the afternoon of this day details were sent 
out in various directions to favor the natives with 
a sight of General Wilson's proclamation. All re- 
turned safely, reporting the most flattering atten- 
tion on the part of their hearers, but with their ardor 



The Second Invasion of Santa Isabel 283 

considerably dampened by a tropical thunder- 
shower. 

On their arrival at the camp they were surprised 
to see the Httle temporary chapel surrounded by 
a dense crowd, while strains of 'The Pilgrim's 
Chorus," "Spanish CavaHer," &c., as played on an 
organ, floated out upon the still afternoon air. 
Wondering, they dismounted, to find the village 
priest listening in rapt attention to the perform- 
ances of the musicians of our number. Later he 
also was persuaded to favor us, with the result that 
one after another of his hearers discovered that they 
had business elsewhere and silently stole away. 

The evening brought another evidence of the im- 
pression that we had made. Sergeant Moen had 
been making inquiries as to where he could pur- 
chase a handsome machete as a souvenir of his war 
experiences, and about dusk the Alcalde waited 
upon us again, accompanied by a friend and the 
usual joyous villagers. After a long and flowery 
oration he produced a machete, which he handed to 
our gallant commander with a profound bow. The 
latter personage, supposing that it was offered for 
his inspection with a view to being purchased, ex- 
amined it dubiously and handed it back again, ex- 
plaining through the interpreter that it was not 
good enough. His answer appeared to produce 



284 History of Troop "A" 

great consternation among the delegation, and the 
interpreter was hastily instructed to announce that 
it was the finest in the town and was presented free 
of charge as an evidence of eternal friendship. Ru- 
mor says that our noble leader, upon learning the 
true state of afifairs, at once rose toi the situation and 
explained that the interpreter was to blame, and 
what he had intended to convey was that he himself 
was not good enough to receive such a priceless 
present from his loving friends, whereupon, assuring 
him that he was a good thing in every sense of the 
word, the deputation smilingly departed. 

Early the next morning, August 25th, we broke 
camp, and with a hearty cheer for our friend O. 
Colon, the Alcalde, departed for Ponce, spreading 
abroad our proclamation by the way to the great 
edification of the wayside audience and the eternal 
uplifting of the intelligent appearing Americano who 
happened to be picked out to read it tO' his com- 
patriots. Our march was marked only by an at- 
tempt on the part of Commissary General Hall to 
upset our wagon in one of the streams that we 
forded and thereby drown Corporal Erving, who, 
being still ill, was riding in it. Certain harsh words 
that the latter had given utterance to concerning 
some so-called "embalmed beans" and "perpetuated 
eggs" that had been forced upon him that morning 



The Second Invasion of Santa Isabel 285 

had moved Sherman to this deed of revenge. The 
rest of the detail was able to prevent the consum- 
mation of this tragedy and Sherman has Hved to 
thank us. 

Shortly before noon we rode into camp, to find, 
as expected, that the welcome news had come that 
we were ordered to leave for home. Each one 
felt that the last few days were among the pleas- 
antest of the entire summer, which fact was be- 
lieved to- be due to the care and consideration of 
our commander and the efforts of our efficient com- 
missary. Was it not better to earn a bloodless vic- 
tory by our mere appearance and reputation than to 
wade redhanded through battles and skirmishes ga- 
lore? The death-roll among our adversaries was 
liable to be larger from the beans distributed with 
so lavish a hand than if we had fired ofif every car- 
tridge in our belts into the blue ether. 



Some Experiences of the 
Commissary Department 

Henry M. Ward. 

" Goed wyn geebt goed bloed, 

Goed bloed geebt goede gelachben, 
Goede gelachben geben goede daden." 

— Hotel Manhattan. 

HEN we found that we 
Avere to establish a perma- 
nent camp at Ponce, we tried 
to make ourselves as com- 
fortable as possible, and while 
we did not set up the luxuri- 
ous mess tent with tables and 
benches which we had at 
Camp Alger, still, by scatter- 
ing cracker boxes, barrels and sacks of potatoes in 
convenient spots in the shade, we did the best we 
could. Native labor being cheap,v a large force of 
assistants was hired, and these, together with the 
regular detail and the fatigue detail for each day, 
gave us about fifteen men actively employed by the 
Commissary. 




288 History of Troop "A" 

The cook, with the rank of Corporal, Bob Troe- 
scher, Ex-Commissary Sergeant, and one or more 
of the permanent detail, with the usual alien pris- 
oner, slept in the portion of the commissary tent 
which was not occupied by cans of tomatoes, beans, 
corned beef and canned roast beef of evil fame. Their 
blankets spread on boxes kept them safe from the fre- 
quent and devastating floods, while they never were 
subjected to the discomforts which the inmates of 
the First Sergeant's tent endured by being suddenly 
dropped down in the middle of the night by the sup- 
ports of hammocks being loosened by the rain. 
The two active and colored cooks had an A tent 
to themselves, near enough to the camp-fire to se- 
cure the immunity which its smoke afforded from 
the dreaded tropical insects, while the native help- 
ers arrived before reveille and remained until after 
taps. 

Indeed the work about the commissary was no 
joke. The nearest spring was more than one hun- 
dred yards distant and, as may be imagined, we had 
at all times a tropical thirst. The regulations of the 
surgeon required that all water should be boiled and 
it then had to be filtered, so one part of the 
commissary was encircled by a wall of large earthen 
water-coolers standing beneath stone filters through 
which the water was supposed to come filtered and 



Commissary Department Experiences 289 

purified as if by the art of Pasteur. It came through 
well enough for the first day, but after that the fil- 
ters were so clogged that, except when the watchful 
eye of the inspecting officer was upon us, we poured 
the water direct from the boilers into these re- 
ceptacles and doubtless many times the water 
did not go through even the purifying process of 
boiling. 

There was also a large water-barrel supposed to 
be reserved for water for cooking purposes, but 
many a time some thoughtless trooper would take 
advantage of its abundant supply to perform his per- 
sonal ablutions and clean up such crockery and 
tableware as he had managed to retain from the 
marauders. 

We arrived at Puerto Rico with a superabundant 
supply of army rations of all sorts, but our experi- 
ence of the transport^and of the first few days before 
we had formed permanent camp, had made us all 
pretty thoroughly tired of a rotation of pork and 
beans, corned beef and hardtack, so it seemed a for- 
tunate day when the commanding officer authorized 
the Commissary Department to draw upon the 
troop fund for the purpose of such supplies and lux- 
uries as the native markets afforded. There was 
about $1,500 in the fund at this time and some $500 
from the weekly assessment on the members of the 



290 History of Troop "A" 

troop, so we started in with high hopes of an ample 
bill of fare. 

It was now part of the regular procedure for the 
Commissary Sergeant, two of the regular detail and 
one or more of the natives to take Howard's mule 
team and drive to the market in Ponce at an hour 
early enough to get in ahead of the other Commis- 
saries, to say nothing of the tropical sun. This was 
one of the times when the Sergeant and Howard had 
an easy thing, for they sat on the high spring seat 
while all the rest tried by all expedients to keep 
themselves from shaking to pieces. Howard had one 
fast drawing mule which could beat anything on the 
road and used to incite her companion to his best 
efforts, and we banged along the stony streets at a 
great pace until we reached the market. There we 
were greeted by the comely and smiling black face of 
Floretta, a subject of her Britannic Majesty from St. 
Thomas, who gave us invaluable assistance and be- 
came a most important auxiliary of the stafT. 

Loading the native with three large empty bas- 
kets we proceeded to inspect what the market af- 
forded, but a sad disappointment awaited us. Our 
ideas of what is beef, mutton and fish had to undergo 
a radical cliange before we recognized the articles to 
which Floretta gave those names, and indeed the 
flesh of a used-up Puerto Rican ox killed the evening 



Commissary Department Experiences 291 

before was no great improvement upon the Amer- 
ican beef treated by that curious chemical process of 
embalming, about which the yellow journals have 
had so much to tell us. Right here a word of justice 
is due to the Administration. So far as the writer 
knows, none of the American beef which was issued 
to us from the time we started until our return, 
whether canned or fresh, was in any way improper 
for use as food, except in some cases where, by our 
own negligence, cans had been left in the sun and 
their contents naturally ruined. The fresh beef 
which we had on the transport going back, which 
was issued roasted, was excellent, and considering 
the fact that it had been kept in cold storage for 
some three months before we used it, was remark- 
ably good. 

To return to the muttons, we never saw a Puerto 
Rican sheep on the hoof, but in the market there 
were certain small joints of animals which Floretta 
assured us to be legs of mutton. When our jaws 
were weary with the stringiness of the so-called beef, 
we tried these for a change, but there was about as 
much sustenance in them as in a halter, while much 
unkind criticism has been uttered about the Com- 
missary's attempt to enliven the monotony of boiled 
rice by the addition of certain articles which Floretta 
assured us were kidneys and liver. 



292 History 01 Troop "A" 

Of fish, the market had an abundant supply — 
fish to look at, that is, not to eat, for we had to buy 
some six hundred of the small red snappers to have 
enough for a meal for fifty men ; and it was seldom 
indeed that a ten pound fish was to be seen. Occa- 
sionally a lobster would be displayed with great 
pride, but they were more like enormous green 
shrimps, as they had no claws, and we never experi- 
mented upon ways of cooking them. 

Fortunately, eggs were abundant, and it is equally 
fortunate that we had the troop fund behind us to 
buy them with, for to feed one hundred men with 
bantam's eggs at four cents apiece so drained the 
treasury that the Commissary, in an evil hour, de- 
vised the expedient of instituting Spanish scrambled 
eggs for breakfast. The recipe for this delicious 
dish is very simple: — Take 300 bantam's eggs and 
break them into a large pan, add twelve cans of gov- 
ernment tomatoes; place the mixture, with suf^cient 
salt and pepper, over a hot fire; stir well until done. 
Then we were given explicit orders that anyone who 
does not care for tomatoes need not eat eggs, and 
there will be enough breakfast for those who like the 
combination. 

Those, however, who were on the sick list, or who 
had the fortune to be detailed to assist the Commis- 
sary, fared sumptuously every day. Stowed away 




^^ 







"4#^ 




Commissary Department Experiences 293 

somewhere in one of the baskets would be a pair of 
fowls or a turkey, and Walter was an adept at pre- 
paring chicken-broth, flavoring it with a few herbs 
which his friend Floretta always remembered to get 
him. 

For vegetables, in addition to such of the Gov- 
ernment potatoes as had not been spoiled by being 
first soaked in sea-water and then left in the hot 
sun for a few days, we had an abundance of yams, 
plantains, bananas and squash. There was an un- 
failing supply of excellent rice, and occasionally the 
favored ones would be presented by Floretta and 
her friends, with pineapples and even oranges, which 
were as much better than those we eat here, as an 
apple stolen from an orchard is better than one 
served at dessert. 

Having filled the baskets and loaded the natives 
with such of these delicacies as the daily allowance 
of $30 enabled us to buy, we started on our home- 
ward journey, usually favored with Floretta's com- 
pany. The market itself was perhaps the most pict- 
uresque of all the sights in Ponce. Its long stucco 
walls, pierced with arches; its roof of red tiles, the 
open courtyards in the middle and the wide brick 
pavements surrounding it, crowded with natives of 
all shades of color, from the full-blooded negroes of 
St. Thomas to the Spanish natives from the interior; 



294 History of Troop "A" 

the picturesque variety of costumes and lack of 
costume, the black bare-legged women smoking 
their cheroots, the cackling fowls, the shouts of chil- 
dren, with here and there the immaculate duck of 
some native officer, made a sight long to be re- 
membered. 

On our way back our first duty was to gather in 
the loaves. We stopped at the bakery of the Three 
B's, whose proprietor combined the business of 
baker, wood merchant and chandler. Here we had 
a contract for two hundred rolls a day, and very 
good they were. Next we proceeded to the ice- 
man, and all the tales we had heard of the cupidity 
of the New York iceman were quite put in the shade 
by his brother in Puerto Rico. The ice was $2.00 a 
hundred pounds, and the hundred pounds had less 
cooHng capacity than would half that weight of good 
American ice. Still we had to have it, and any 
price would have been cheap for the relief it gave 
us and the comfort it was for those in the hospital. 
The great trouble in that portion of the tropics with 
which we had experience, was not that it was very 
hot, but that there never was anything, day in and 
day out, to brace one up and make one more able 
to bear the vagaries of the climate. It was hot in 
the sun and warm in the shade; it was warm at 
night. The water of the streams was warm, that 



Commissary Department Experiences 295 

of the ocean was even warmer, the ground was 
warm, and ice was the only refuge from this uni- 
versal tepidity. 

One day news reached us that the Commissary 
had opened a store at La Playa where we could buy 
American groceries at cost. Needless to say the 
swiftest team was called out and with the full Com- 
missary detail we proceeded to take whatever we 
could lay our hands upon. At the Port we found 
in one of the large warehouses a corner set apart as 
a grocery store and here we could get everything in 
the way of canned goods that could be thought of. 
The first day we thought of many things and the 
next day we wished that we had thought of more, 
for orders came that what remained should be re- 
served for officers of the various commands. On 
the arrival, however, of another transport a more 
abundant supply was forthcoming, and before we 
left we were able to lay in a large supply of the 
best Franco-American soups and all sorts of pre- 
served and dried fruits, crackers, sardines, coffee 
and tea. Thanks are due to the Captain and Com- 
missary in charge of this store, who, with unfailing 
courtesy and good-nature, acted as grocery clerk 
for us, opened boxes, weighed out supplies and 
chalked up our account. 

When the final orders to sail had arrived, the 



296 History of Troop "A" 

commanding officer intimated to the Commissary 
that no objections would be raised if we laid in an 
abundant supply of food, drinks and ice for our com- 
fort on the transport. On going over to our stock 
we found some eighty boxes of hardtack, countless 
cans of tomatoes and beef, sacks of coffee and of 
sugar, all of the Government rations which we had 
not consumed, so we made a deal with one of the 
native marketmen and he gave us some $300 for 
the lot. With this money and a large part of what 
remained of the troop fund we bought out the native 
grocer and exhausted what little remained at the 
Commissary's store, while we placed our orders at 
the two ice factories for their whole output for the 
next three days. 

The next problem was to load all these supplies 
on the transport without loss by fire, perils of the 
sea, or the public enemy. By way of opening up 
preliminary negotiations the Commissary and the 
alien prisoner paid a long and satisfactory visit one 
evening to the officers of the ship. We were re- 
ceived with great hospitality and the best of English 
and Scotch liquors were placed at our disposal. The 
steward extended the hospitalities of the cold stor- 
age room for the safe keeping of our supplies, and 
we finally decided that we would bring them aboard 
at night and stow them there. So the next morn- 



Commissary Department Experiences 297 

ing we had the day's output from one ice factory, 
amounting to some seven hundred pounds, put up 
in barrels with sawdust, obtained three or four hun- 
dred pounds from the other, and, starting off in the 
evening, loaded the wagon with these and as many 
of the supplies as we had room for. We made our 
way to the Playa and hired a lighter, with two boat- 
men. At this point Howard's former training as 
roustabout on a Mississippi steamer came in. He 
handled the five hundred pound barrels of ice with 
more ease than the rest of us handled the boxes, 
and our united efforts soon had all the stuff on the 
lighter. The natives then poled us out and in the 
course of time we came up alongside the "Missis- 
sippi." Steam was up and we soon had the barrels 
swinging in the air and lowered into the hold, and 
then rolled over to the aft starboard section of the 
cold storage room. This operation was repeated 
nightly until the last day, when we came down to the 
Playa with an unusually large load, the last of the 
supplies increased by the addition of several hundred 
bottles of beer, ginger-ale and wine of the country, 
not to mention several cages of Porto Rican canaries 
given us by Floretta as a parting token of her es- 
teem. We called to our boatmen to bring us a light- 
er and they started to obey when we were met with 
an order purporting to come from the commanding 



298 History of Troop "A" 

General to the effect that no lighters should be used 
by anyone until the General's transport had been 
completely loaded. Looking about us we saw some 
forty lighters waiting about and no attempt being 
made to use any of them. So we all retired into the 
shade and held a council of war. We decided to 
"lay low" until about dusk and then see what could 
be done. So we repaired to the Hotel de la Playa 
and had the usual Porto Rican dinner, with fried 
fish as an introduction to dessert. This feast con- 
cluded, we hailed our lightermen, brought thewagon 
down, loaded the Hghter, took a rowboat as well, 
and started off, expecting each moment a peremp- 
tory order to return. We took care, however, not 
to listen and not to look toward headquarters, so 
finally we reached the ship and began unloading, 
when, to our consternation, we saw a rowboat pull- 
ing out from the shore full of the General's Quar- 
termasters. Although they boarded the ship they, 
however, did not ask any embarrassing questions, 
and when our load was well aboard, after visiting the 
ship's of^cers and sending back the lightermen, we 
took occasion to make ourselves as inconspicuous 
as possible and rowed off to the hospital ship "Re- 
lief" where we were welcomed by Dr. Rowland, and 
saw a number of the boys whom we had managed to 
place where they would be best looked after. We 



Commissary Department Experiences 299 

were back at camp before taps, but have always won- 
dered what would have happened if the lighter had 
been stopped in transitu. 

Once under way on the transport the Commis- 
saries of the three commands forward, Battery "A," 
the City Troop of Philadelphia, and our troop 
selected three places on the deck to set up their 
respective Commissary quarters and drew lots for 
them. We drew the forward port section and soon 
had an improvised lunch-counter and bar combined, 
which the ingenuity and thought of the alien de- 
corated with a picture and appropriate mottoes. 
Finding that we had more ice, more tomatoes and 
less condensed milk than we needed, we agreed with 
Battery "A" and the City Troop to divide the ice up 
equally and to supply our deficiencies by trading our 
surplus supplies. This arrangement worked beauti- 
fully for the first two days. We had an abundance 
of ice— enough to keep the various drinks as cold 
throughout the day as they were when we brought 
them up from the storage in the morning. Every 
day before reveille the various Commissaries, each 
with a detail, repaired to the aft hatchway, went 
down to the cold storage room with the steward and 
brought up such supplies as it was expected would 
be needed for the day. These supplies were all 
hoisted up by one of the donkey engines, and we 



300 History of Troop "A" 

became quite expert in making the barrels dodge the 
various beams and stanchions which they encoun- 
tered on the way up. After being landed on deck all 
the supplies had to be carried by hand forward to 
the upper deck and the whole detail earned their 
title to a hearty breakfast. By arrangement with 
the steward, we were able to have every morning not 
only hot cofTee but a large boiler full of hominy, and 
this we helped out with canned fruit, bacon, hard- 
tack and condensed milk. For dinner we had an 
ample issue of roast beef, cooked during the night, 
with potatoes or rice, some cans of Franco- American 
soup and guava jelly and cheese, by way of dessert. 

The bar was opened at eleven A. M. and con- 
tinued open until as long after taps as possible, and 
not the least valuable part of our education was that 
gained in presiding there in the long afternoons. 
On the third day out the entire supply of ice on the 
transport, the great bulk of which belonged to us 
and had been purchased from the troop fund, was 
taken possession of by the Major commanding, and, 
by his orders, from that time on ice was issued every 
morning in seven equal portions, one for each of the 
commands aboard, the two troops of Pennsylvania 
cavalry, Troop "C," of Brooklyn, Battery "A," the 
City Troop, and for the officers and our troop. All 
protests against this proceeding were unavailing and 



Commissary Department Experiences 301 

while we were glad enough that they should have ice 
water, it was disheartening to think of our beer 
growing warm, while large cakes of ice which had 
been issued to the other commands were left on the 
deck. 

The writer cannot close without bearing witness 
to the most efficient and ready work of all the men 
connected with the commissary department of the 
troop, and also to the appreciation of the troop at 
large of the difficulties encountered in providing 
their fare and of their readiness in making allowance 
for many shortcomings. 



Ordered Home 

Arthur M. Blake. 

" It seems that I have heard 
That word before ; 
Some one said " Home," 
That sang to me of loved ones, 
And of food." 




HE week's delay in carry- 
ing out the orders to "em- 
bark immediately," occa- 
sioned, we were told, 
through lack of lighters 
(who said management?) 
was well utilized by the 
Commissary Department in 
purchasing such of the good things of life as would 
nourish and stimulate the inner man on the home- 
ward trip. 

Every morning before reveille some of the 
kitchen detail would hie them to the picturesque 
establishment of a courteous Puertoricqueno who 
indulged in th<e manufacture of macaroni and ice, 
purchasing a ton of the latter and taking it down to 
the Playa for storage in the transport's refrigerator. 
Commissary Sergeant Ward, by wheedling himself 



304 History of Troop "A" 

into the good graces of a fair Senorita in town, be- 
came the proud possessor of a real live cocktail 
shaker; bitters were procured from the 'Trancais," 
and when the week was up a goodly supply of pre- 
served fruits, tinned salmon and other luxuries, pur- 
chased from the balance left over in the Troop Re- 
lief Fund, had been placed aboard. Incidentally 
provision was made to give the cocktail shaker a 
good time and not allow it to Lovelandize. We 
broke camp on the morning of the 2nd of Septem- 
ber, and went aboard in the afternoon, amiisque im- 
pedimentibus, the last few moments ashore being 
spent by "Senator" Hill and a syndicate in trying 
to corner the market in the Httle Puerto Rican 
"canaries" offered for sale by the natives — pretty 
little birds (the canaries, not the natives) of a bright 
yellow and blue plumage, of which, though, very 
few lived to reach New York. 

We found that we had been assigned quarters 
four or five below, forward, with the City Troop and 
Battery "A," of Philadelphia, above us. Troop 
"C," of Brooklyn, with the Governor's Troop of 
Ilarrisburg and the Sheridan Troop, both of the 
Pennsylvania cavalry, were aft. We also found that 
the hay, mule and horse decks of our former trans- 
port experience were empty, and offered a splendid 
opportunity for the transfer of hammocks from the 



Ordered Home 305 

stuffiness below, and in less time than it would take 
Jimmy Terry to tell it, our best soldiers had appro- 
priated every horse-stall, stanchion and ventilator 
that lent itself to the purpose. Our having so few 
animals aboard was the reason for this extra room, 
for with the exception of Troop "C" and ourselves 
the other commands had decided to take advantage 
of the option (?) given to leave their horses in Puerto 
Rico. When the men were all settled down. Troop 
"A" was found to be occupying the starboard side 
of the ship, with the Philadelphia boys scattered 
amidship on the port. 

Charlie Fuller, Gus Wallace and a few others 
were rather unfortunate at the start in their choice 
of the second horse deck, for at about half-past 
eleven that night, when fast asleep, they were rude- 
ly awakened by ''Here you!" "Get out of that!" 
" Who is that man over there? " " Punch him in the 
'slats' and wake him up!" "Hurry up; out you 
come!" and come out they had to, for some extra 
officers' horses were coming aboard, and were to be 
placed in the section these men had appropriated. 
At last the loading was completed, and we weighed 
anchor about four in the morning of the 3d, begin- 
ning a trip, which, for smoothness of sea, evenness 
of temperature and slowness of speed, has never yet 
been equalled. To within twenty-four hours of 



3o6 History of Troop "A" 

sighting New York it more resembled a trip across 
the bay, and even then, when the weather did change 
it could have been called but a slight ground swell 
at the most — quite enough, though, to upset several 
of the men. We were not in good condition; far 
from it; for with one or two exceptions the men 
were generally weak and showing the effects of their 
work on shore. 

Call it camping in the tropics, if you will, but our 
month's stay had been by no means the picnic many 
imagined. Poor food, the climate, rains, hard work 
and exposure had told on us all. We were full of 
malaria, and, as subsequently developed, a number 
of us were at the time sickening with typhoid. In 
the cases of Lieutenant Coudert, Goadby and Gran- 
nis it actually developed before we reached shore. 

Life at sea is monotonous at the best of times, 
and in our case it proved no exception. One day 
was very much like another, and little happened to 
break the monotony. There was the morning trip 
by a special detail to the ship's refrigerator for the 
day's supply of ice and food, the general reveille, 
roll call, mess, a hose pipe bath up forward, some 
little guard duty, more mess and early turning in. 

Sergeant Ward, "Cook" Brown and Privates 
Mills, Troescher and Blake accomplished wonders 
in their capacity as bartenders and general jolliers 



ilil^MI 




Ordered Home 307 

during the entire trip behind the mess counter, by 
far the handiest and most picturesque on board. 

The feed-box in front of a section of horse-stall 
on the upper deck was knocked away, a series of 
boards laid tablewise and a back counter placed for 
the display of such luxuries in the way of cigars, 
cigarettes, canned fruits and assorted bottles as had 
been purchased before leaving. Add to this the 
portrait of a lady in quite fetching attire, a cage of 
the canaries before mentioned and the result was as 
good an imitation as one could have of the primitive 
little booths of the Midway at Camp Alger. 

This was for our mess, and whether or not it was 
due to the propinquity of the wet goods or the smil- 
ing countenances of the commissary and his satel- 
Htes, it certainly became the "rendezvous" of the 
trip home, and probably the one spot in which more 
lies were swapped than any other part of the vessel. 
Here it was that our never-to-be-forgotten glee club 
did its midnight howling, taking advantage of the 
fact that our heavy boots had long since given way 
to leggings that couldn't hurt much, anyhow, and 
were hardly worth the throwing, and here, too, did 
the sundry two or three gather together for the first 
smack of home in the shape of — er — er — "snifters." 

A slight mishap, caused by the use of a whole bot- 
tle of vinegar in mistake for vermouth, did a little 



3o8 History of Troop "A" 

to disturb the hilarity of one occasion and make 
Frank Morse sign the pledge, but on the whole the 
drinks served were generous in quantity and not so 
unlike the real thing. 

What bade fair to be our bulletin centre for the 
daily news was unfortunately nipped in the bud by 
our commissary, who had probably had his special 
lunch, that he had set aside for himself, stolen by 
one of his miserable, starving (?) underlings. 

Signs had already been displayed advertising the 
wares for sale, and special instructions had been 
posted not to speak to the cook when he was serv- 
ing mess, for "he had work to do, and didn't give a 
damn in any case." A special brand of eggs, known 
as the "B. F." of that ilk, was recommended, and a 
serial publication — or was it a translation from the 
German on the horror^of the war? — was announced 
at half rates, but that's as far as it went. 

Adjoining our mess was the cock-pit, the scene of 
daily battles between two Puerto Rican "gamers" 
being brought home by a couple of Battery men and 
known as the "Playa Paralizer" and the 'Tonce 
Pup," though ofttimes in the middle of the night 
there were other names they went by, and, alas! re- 
sponded to. 

The finish of the "Pup" was sad — very sad — and 
instead of being "down and out" it was most de- 



Ordered Home 309 

cidedly "down and in," for after a wildly exciting 
rally one afternoon, in which the "Paralizer" was 
groggy and showed considerable punishment and 
whiteness of the feather, he suddenly came to life, 
crossing with his left and catching the "Pup" in the 
solar plexus, and with a most almighty sole, drove 
him clean overboard. Would that his victor had 
'plunged gallantly overboard to his assistance! 

There were other sporting events to take the 
place of the roosters, and a number of pesos changed 
hands over the Bugle contest and the Stoking 
sweepstakes. The former was the outcome of Cap- 
tain Warburton's backing his Battery blower against 
our "Braithe," who after a spirited fight walked 
away with first money. 

The Stoking Sweepstakes between Seymour 
Cromwell and George Newhall (a Battery man) on 
the one side, and Arthur Brown and Gus Wallace on 
the other, originated one night in the Chief Engi- 
neer's room over the nuts and wine. We had only 
been making 195 knots a day on ihe average up to 
then, and a guileless remark on the "Big Sarge's" 
part, implying that "it was a pity they didn't have a 
few cavalrymen do\yn below pushing things along a 
bit," brought an instant upturning of the nose from 
another of the party, and resulted in the match being 
made and brought about forthwith. 



310 History of Troop "A" 

Each man went below, "stripped to his foolish 
hide," and took his turn at the fiery furnace, and 
despite the almost herculean efforts of Cromwell, 
Wallace and Brown were declared the winners by 
the gauge and the chief engineer. Brown displaying 
a knowledge of the art which brought round after 
round of applause from the professionals who looked 
on. The next day's run was 205 knots, and it is on 
record that no such stoking has ever been seen this 
side of the River Styx. For a quartet of run-down 
soldiers tO' go below in a temperature of 99 degrees 
for a little over an hour and stoke with the necessary 
straining exertions, to the uninitiated is an evidence 
of sportiness, and few would deny it. 

So much for the incidents of the voyage, few as 
they were. True, mention might be made of one 
trooper who, in absentmindedness, had the wrong 
initials tattooed on his arm, giving lifelong proof to 
the world that there once was a time at least when 
he fancied he was someone else. Then again, our 
first acquaintance with "Home, Boys, Home," or an 
analytical discussion on the ingredients of our mess 
itself might be given — but what's the use? 

On the 9th of September the weather turned 
somewhat colder, driving a few of the men below for 
the night, and on the loth we sighted Sandy Hook. 

A tugful of Philadelphians was the first to come 



Ordered Home 311 

alongside and enter the Bay with us, but it was not 
long afterward that the welcome view of our gallant 
Captain dawned upon us from another tug, and if 
ever the troop gave three hearty cheers for any one 
it gave them then. Nothing could have added so 
much to our homecoming as the sight of Captain 
Badgely well again after his attack of typhoid and 
"Algerian fever," standing in front of the little pilot 
house glad toi see us, and showing it; and the 
thought that immediately struck us was shortly 
afterward confirmed, that he was to head our parade 
from the dock to the Armory from which we had 
ridden some four and a half months previously. 

Owing to the scarcity of gang-planks and other 
causes of delay it was afternoon before we began to 
unload, and four o'clock before we boarded the ferry 
for New York City, where the Squadron, in their 
clean full dress uniforms — and how very clean they 
looked by comparison ! — were awaiting us. To sat- 
isfy an admiring and enthusiastic public, we marched 
down to the Battery, and thence via Broadway and 
Fifth Avenue to the Armory, where relatives and 
friends were assembled to welcome us home. 



On November 28, 1898, after a furlough, which 
had been given us on the loth of September, we 



312 History of Troop "A" 

were paid off and mustered out of Uncle Sam's ser- 
vice, and Troop "A," N.Y.C., U.S.V., passed into 
history. 

" Home, boys, home, and its home you ought to be ; 
Home, boys, home, in your own countree ; 
Where the ash and the oak and the bonny willow-tree. 
They all grow so pretty up in North Amerikee." 

— The Cannoneer. 



Commissions 



Edward L. Patterson. 



Just for a handful of silver he left us, 
Just for a ribband to stick in his coat." 

— The Lost Leader. 






ROOP "A," N.G., N.Y., 
was always spoken of as "a 
school for officers." And 
when its progeny, the 
Squadron, was bred from 
the parent organization by 
the process of self-division, 
which the study of microbes 
and their domestic relations 
has made so familiar to all 
well informed people, the 
same expression continued to be used. Now and 
then some trooper, whose increasing prosperity and 
bulk made the "scissors" and double-mounting 
yearly more difficult, would accept a commission in 
some other National Guard organization. To the 
average Squadron man, however, the pomp and 




314 History of Troop "A" 

vanity of a centurion of hoplites appealed but little; 
a lance corporal in the Squadron was a greater man 
to him, and an artificer far more influential. His 
ardor for exercise, his love of a horse, and his devo- 
tion to "the gang," alike tended to keep him from 
wandering from his cavalry associations. He would 
rather shake down bedding on the picket-line of 
God's own people than dwell in the tents of the 
doughboys. But he cherished in his breast the com- 
forting idea — nay, the absolute conviction — that if 
ever a real war broke out in his time cavalry com- 
missions would come chasing him so rapidly that it 
would be undignified to run away. 

We had a number of illusions before the war, and 
that was one of them. Our much-abused War 
Department dispelled this particular one with great 
promptness. When the quota to be furnished by 
the several States on the first call for volunteers were 
announced, great was our surprise to see that New 
York hadn't been called on for a cavalry brigade, 
nor a regiment. The Government didn't even want 
all the officers and men of the State's mounted 
forces who had been settling their business and 
saying good-by to their best girls. It was a dread- 
ful shock, but we gave Uncle Sam what he asked 
for, and let it go at that. 

We had ample opportunity for observing the 



Commissions 315 

breed of officer that the New York Guard turns out 
while at Camp Black. There were many Generals 
bivouacked at the Garden City Hotel, who came out 
to camp to lunch sometimes, when it didn't rain 
too' hard, and each of whom had a gaudy retinue of 
Majors and "sich," mainly recruited from privates 
of the Seventh Regiment and subalterns of the 
Twelfth. They honored us frequently with their 
presence, generally bringing some of our fair friends 
along. We weren't uncharitable enough to suspect 
them of attempting to accentuate the contrast be- 
tween their dapper countenances and neatly fitting 
uniforms and our sprouting whiskers and garments 
decorated with metal polish. It is comforting to 
chronicle that it didn't seem to work, if they did. 

After a seeming eternity of three whole weeks, we 
exchanged the ceaseless downpour and wintry 
blasts of Black for the drought, dust and torrid 
heat of Alger. We lost one man by the wayside — 
the lightning of promotion struck him just before 
we were mustered in — but we got another in his 
place, and started southward with full ranks. On 
the way down we heard of another impending loss 
in the person of our commissary sergeant, who was 
wanted as an expert balloonist. We were sorry to 
have him go — he was a splendid rustler, and we 
didn't know how he would pan out as an aeronaut. 



3i6 History of Troop "A" 

On arrival at Camp Alger the draft upon our 
numbers continued. The proximity of the camp to 
the National Capital, whence all military and other 
official blessings flow, contributed greatly to this 
result. Many of the troopers knew Senators and 
other persons in authority and having influence, 
who put ideas into their heads. The relatives of 
many men secured commissions for them and 
brought the strongest kind of pressure to make 
them accept. There were lots of officers at Camp Al- 
ger, as at Camp Black, whom the men knew; some 
of whom they liked and some they didn't. Certain of 
the former used to come over and see us sometimes. 
They probably worked as many hours a day as we 
did, or more, but somebody else kept their clothes 
in order for them, and they didn't show it the same 
way. As regards those in the latter category, when 
one has been accustomed to regard a man as an 
inferior the reflection that the positions are 
reversed by the strongest kind of sanction is not a 
soothing one. Then there was the daily growing 
belief that the troop was never going to get any 
nearer that mysterious and ill-located region 
known in the debates of the "War Club" as "THE 
FRONT"; that we weren't needed there, and that 
some malign influence was working on the President 
to keep us at home. This generated a restlessness 




I 



Commissions 317 

that nearly drove us to frenzy when we learned of 
the Santiago expedition having left Tampa, of the 
landing at Daiquiri, and finally of Guasimas, and the 
fact that Arthur Cosby, for whom we hadn't a va- 
cancy, and who had accordingly joined the Rough 
Riders, had been in that fight. Instead of which 
there was the terrible heat, the unceasing round 
of guard, orderly, messenger-boy and provost work 
that headquarters exacted of us, and the strain on 
the men's tempers that necessarily ensued. The men 
of Troop "A" were loyal, but human; many bark- 
ened to the voice of the charmer, and it is probable, 
if the secrets of all men's hearts were revealed, that 
there would have been others if the troop hadn't 
been ordered to Puerto Rico. 

The parting was a hard one, though, in nearly all 
cases, if not in all, both for those who left and those 
who were left. Nobody who had lived for two 
months with that crowd, in an intimacy such as a 
man who hasn't had a similar experience cannot 
imagine, could leave them for the society of stran- 
gers without a sinking of the heart, however great 
his momentary irritation at the situation or at in- 
dividuals, or his elation at his increased importance 
and adventurous prospects. Most of those who left 
escaped from camp as quietly as possible, choosing 
a time when the men were at drill or on other duty, 



3l8 History of Troop "A" 

and leaving a general farewell for distribution by 
some tentmate. The remaining faithful would con- 
tinue the daily routine, perhaps sighing niHdly and 
remarking, "Well, wonder who's next!" After a 
while every man suspected his neighbor, even the 
partner of his bosom. No one knew when the cere- 
mony of "Washington's farewell to his generals" 
would be enacted in his squad, with his "bunkie" as 
G. W. And when a man's father or other near rela- 
tive appeared in camp, everybody in his mind sadly 
marked him off the roster, "Discharged, by reason 
of promotion." 

Most of the departing ones rushed wildly about 
Washington in the heat for a few days, getting fitted 
out with new uniforms — officers' fatigue only; but 
how gorgeous as compared to the working "jeans" 
of a trooper! — and other articles of more or less util- 
ity in the field. At other times they would haunt the 
War Department end of the big "Triune" Build- 
ing, trying to hasten their commissions and orders, 
and gaining their first experience of how to steer 
amid the snags and eddies of "military channels." 
Finally, however, they would vanish, departing each 
for his own place — Tampa, Chickamauga or Peeks- 
kill — and the troopers detailed for special duty at 
Chamberlin's or the Arlington would see them no 
more. 



Commissions 319 

Nineteen men in all were commissioned out of 
the troop, not one of whom, by the way, got into 
any cavalry organization, regular or volunteer, dur- 
ing the war. Six men received appointments as 
second lieutenants in the regular army, five of whom 
were originally assigned to the artillery, but all but 
one secured transfers to the infantry, as promising 
a better prospect for foreign service. Of the volun- 
teer appointments, five were in the general staff 
departments, three in the Signal Corps, three in 
the Engineers, and the other two in state infantry 
regiments. Only two of the eight who received 
line commissions in the volunteers ever served with 
their regiments, all the others having staff assign- 
ments. 

The first break, as stated above, came before the 
troop had even been mustered into the United 
States service. On the night of May i8th, four un- 
fortunates were seated in the boarded shed that 
served as the of^ce of the Mustering Ofificer, 
laboriously filling out upon the muster-rolls the 
ages, places of birth and color of hair and eyes of the 
troopers, whether single or married, and other par- 
ticulars deemed material for identification in their 
subsequent condition of servitude. Having finally 
waded through the list of of^cers, sergeants, cor- 
porals, trumpeters, farriers, etc., they were starting 



320 History of Troop "A" 

upon the plain privates, and had nearly reached 
"Breckenridg"e, John C," when that individual 
appeared with an order from Captain Badgley to 
leave his name off the roll for the present. The ex- 
planation appeared in the next morning's papers, in 
the daily list of army appointments: "To be Captain 
and Assistant Quartermaster, John C. Brecken- 
ridge, of New York" 

"Breck" in due course of time reached Chicka- 
mauga Park, and was assigned to Major-General 
James H. Wilson, commanding the First Division, 
First Army Corps, and served under him as aide-de- 
camp, and thereafter as Chief Quartermaster of 
Division. In the latter capacity he accompanied the 
Puerto Rico expedition, landing at Ponce on July 
26th. General Wilson was placed in command of 
the district, and "Breck's" working hours were long 
and his labors arduous, but his constitution and 
temper were equal to the occasion. Often "Breck" 
has been seen standing in front of the old Custom 
House at the Playa, about which the military world 
of Puerto Rico revolved in those days^ while 
superiors raved and subordinates pleaded. But 
"Breck" never turned a hair; promised everything, 
as a good quartermaster should, and never let any- 
thing bother him, to outward appearance at least, 
but always had time to help out somebody else, who 



Commissions 32 1 

didn't know exactly what he wanted or how to 
get it. 

Captain Breckenridge accompanied General Wil- 
son's column to Coamo, and was the first man to 
enter that town upon the attack and capture of the 
9th of August, which goes to show that a quarter- 
master's duties do not necessarily confine him to the 
rear and the baggage column when something in- 
teresting is forward. He returned to the United 
States with General Wilson in September, and was 
honorably discharged November 30th, 1898. 

Sergeant Charles Edward Pellew, our highly 
esteemed acting commissary sergeant, was the next 
man to get in the way of a commission. We learned 
on the way down to Dunn Loring that we were to 
lose him, and the news didn't tend especially to 
enliven a journey that was dreary enough from 
other causes. Pellew was commissioned First Lieu- 
tenant in the United States Volunteer Signal Corps, 
and was ordered to Tampa, but did not have the for- 
tune to get off on either the Santiago or Puerto Rico 
expedition. He was finally ordered to Santiago in the 
early part of August, and was the only man on board 
of the transport (the "Port Victor") who set foot on 
Cuban soil. His stay there was short, General 
Shafter himself, with the genial suavity which that 
officer's name invariably suggests, recommending 



r 



k 



322 History of Troop "A" 

him to leave the island. He proceeded to Camp 
Wikoff, Montauk Point, and resigned from the ser- 
vice after a short period there. There is no truth 
in the report that he advised and superintended the 
raising of the celebrated balloon at El Pozo on the 
morning of July ist. 

We had been but a few days at Alger — not long 
enough, in fact, to have made any serious im- 
pression upon the brush-covered furrows of the 
ploughed field where they camped us — when it 
became noised about that two more men had the 
same complaint — Privates McKee Dunn McKee 
and Frank L. Polk. McKee's home was in Wash- 
ington, and his family of credit and renown in the 
countryside — even the railway station where we had 
disembarked, Dunn Loring, was a connection of 
his. As for Polk, the crowned heads at Washington 
naturally fell all over themselves to do him honor, 
and two prominent Senators secured him a cap- 
taincy and fired it at him before he knew what was 
going on — he said so himself. While McKee was 
meditating on whether or not he would leave, an 
order from the War Department arrived directing 
his discharge, and thereby saved him the respon- 
sibility and anguish of the decision. He was com- 
missioned Second Lieutenant in the United States 
Volunteer Signal Corps, and assigned as aide-de- 



Commissions 323 

camp to Brigadier General Wallace F. Randolph, 
U.S. v., commanding the light artillery brigade. 
Reporting at Tampa on June 19th, he accompanied 
his chief to Cuba, sailing on the transport 
"Comanche" July 3rd, and landing at Daiquiri the 
i6th. He remained in camp near Santiago until 
General Randolph's departure for Montauk, which 
took place August 17th; and, after a week's stay at 
Camp Wikoff was granted leave, which continued 
until his final discharge from the service, December 
8th. 

McKee was present during the most trying time 
of the Fifth Army Corps' occupation, when over half 
of that command was constantly on sick report, 
and sometimes eighty per cent, of the remainder 
ought to have been, and there is no doubt that he 
bore himself nobly through those dark times, when 
fever held undisputed sway over our forces, with no 
excitement of conflict to keep up men's hearts. But 
he is too modest to tell of it, and there was no one 
else there to chronicle his deeds. It is evident, 
however, that he quickly acquired the ways of the 
military profession. One of the other men, who 
happened to board the "Comanche" only two days 
after Dunn had left it, inquired about him of the 
Adjutant of the battalion to which General Ran- 
dolph's brigade had suddenly become reduced by 



324 History of Troop "A" 

the landing of headquarters and two batteries. This 
officer immediately broke out into a flow of 
language in which wrath and admiration were 
strangely blended; it transpiring that Lieutenant 
McKee, having drawn no tent of his own, and hav- 
ing a commendable disinclination to being left shel- 
terless in the somewhat moist climate of Cuba, had 
appropriated the Adjutant's when he went up to 
the lines. It was conceded on all sides that the 
young volunteer officer was certainly learning the 
game. 

Polk was commissioned Captain and Assistant 
Quartermaster of Volunteers, and assigned in due 
course to the First Brigade, First Division, First 
Army Corps, commanded by Brigadier-General 
Oswald H. Ernst. He joined at Camp Thomas, 
Chickamauga, and accompanied General Ernst to 
Puerto Rico, landing at Ponce and participating in 
the engagements about Coamo. Polk was rated as 
a most efficient man in his department, and his 
charitable disposition was never more clearly 
manifested than in breaking camp at Ponce, when 
he generously abandoned most of his forage in 
favor of those who were more in need of that very 
scarce commodity — none could have needed it 
worse than the outfit that succeeded to it, at any 
rate. His method of loading his wagons on the 



Commissions 325 

same occasion, with the tent-poles and other heavy 
articles on top, also won expressions of wonder from 
observing bystanders, several regular officers of 
long service on the plains remarking that they had 
never in all their experience even thought of loading 
wagons that way. Captain Polk returned to the 
United States when his chief did, and subsequently 
tendered his resignation. Its acceptance was de- 
layed for some time by reason of a shortage of forty 
undershirts in his accounts, but the deficiency hav- 
ing been satisfactorily explained the gallant Captain 
returned to civil life, and the service lost a good 
officer. He was discharged November 30th, 
1898. 

The next man to withdraw the light of his coun- 
tenance from our troop street, now beginning to 
lose somewhat its resemblance to a series of parallel 
mountain ranges, was Private William Silas White- 
head, Jr., of Tent 9, whose many wise sayings, 
couched in men-y guise, had contributed in such 
large measure to the attractiveness of the hospitality 
dispensed so generously by its occupants. He was 
commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Third 
United States Volunteer Engineers, and assigned 
as aide-de-camp to Brigadier- General A. C. M. 
Pennington, U.S.V. This assignment gave him an- 
other week at Camp Black. General Pennington 



326 History of Troop "A" 

was soon afterward ordered to command the De- 
partment of the Gulf, with headquarters at Atlanta, 
Ga., which gave "Bill Silas" another opportunity of 
revisiting the scenes of former victories, at the Ara- 
gon and the Capitol City Club. He served as engi- 
neer ofificer of the department and aide-de-camp 
until his departure for home, November 6th, and 
was discharged November loth. 

Private Allan Appleton Robbins was appointed 
and commissioned First Lieutenant in the First 
United States Volunteer Engineers shortly after- 
ward. His first service with his new organization 
was at the old New York State camp at Peekskill, 
so closely associated in the minds of all National 
Guardsmen of the Empire State with all that par- 
takes of pageantry and hilarity in military affairs. 
The regiment sailed away to Puerto Rico in the 
early part of August, and its officers created a great 
sensation when they began to frequent the Hotel 
Francais by their new uniforms and caps among 
those who had been in the field longer andWhose 
wardrobes showed it. Lieutenant Robbins assisted 
in repairing the bridges near Aibonito, blown up by 
the Spaniards, and remained in the island until his 
family organized an expedition of their own, 
swooped down upon him, and carried him home in 
triumph. Pie then applied for and received an hon- 



Commissions 327 

orable discharge. The separation from "Baby" 
that service in a foot regiment entailed was a severe 
blow, although a report that he commanded his 
company from the tail of an ambulance on the 
march shows that the effect of his cavalry training 
survived. 

The ruthless government now began to make 
large drafts on our devoted band, eight men being 
requisitioned in a week or less. A batch of second 
lieutenancies in the regular army was passed around 
and we lost a sergeant, three corporals and two 
privates. Some of these we had anticipated losing, 
but some were surprises. One of the latter was 
gallant enough to insist that he had no idea even 
how he came to be appointed, though others 
thought they could guess. They spent some weeks 
or so going back to their school-days in preparation 
for examinations — physical, mental and moral — 
and all passed. There being no vacancies in the 
cavalry, the arm to which they naturally inclined, 
five of them finally elected to go into the infantry, 
and were accordingly assigned: Corporal Edwin C. 
Hoyt and Private James M. A Darrach to the 
Eleventh, Sergeant Alfred B. Maclay and Corporal 
G. Beekman Hoppin to the Fifth, and Private 
Charles R. Hickox, Jr., to the Second. Corporal 
C. Sidney Haight went to the Fourth Artillery. 



328 History of Troop "A" 

Hoyt and Darrach were in company throughout. 
Their regiment having been ordered from Tampa 
to Puerto Rico, they got on board the U. S. S. "St. 
Paul," at Newport News, on which vessel were Brig- 
adier-General Peter C. Hains, U.S. V., and staff, with 
a portion of his brigade. On arrival at Ponce General 
Hains was ordered to proceed to Arroyo and join 
General Brooke. Hoyt and Darrach, having learned 
that the Eleventh Infantry had not yet arrived, 
sought his advice, with the result that he procured 
them to be attached to his staff. They landed at 
Arroyo, and were present at the fight on the road to 
Guayama and the entrance into that town, as well 
as in the subsequent operations of General Brooke's 
column. They were of the few of the Troop "A" 
men who ever got into action; and they handled 
themselves, according to the unanimous testimony 
of eye-witnesses, as we all think we should have 
done if we had had an opportunity, and all of their 
old comrades are proud of them. Both returned 
with General Hains to the United States in Septem- 
ber as casually as they had gone to Puerto Rico, and 
shortly afterward resigned, never having seen the 
regiment they were assigned to. 

Hoppin and Maclay reported to the Fifth Infan- 
try at Tampa. This regiment was a part of General 
Schwan's brigade, and, like the rest of that com- 



Commissions 329 

mand, was originally destined for Puerto Rico, but 
was switched off and sent to Santiago instead. Mac- 
lay did not accompany them, however, as he had 
the grievous misfortune of losing his father while at 
Tampa, which compelled him to resign from the 
army. Hoppin left Tampa for Santiago on August 
19th, and acted as quartermaster and commissary 
of the transport "Knickerbocker" on the voyage, 
which terminated on the 28th. They brought four 
cases of yellow fever to Cuba with them, contrary to 
the usual course of business in that line, which gave 
them two weeks in an isolation camp. Beekman is 
another of these modest men from whom it is impos- 
sible to get particulars, but those who know him 
and have read Mr. Kipling's " Only a Subaltern " can 
paint their own pictures of Lieutenant Hoppin in 
command of Company "G," and draw their own 
conclusions as to whether he was equal to the situa- 
tion. The regiment, after the expiration of its quar- 
antine, was fully occupied with the care of garrison- 
ing Santiago and more sickness, until the dry season 
brought relief, when Hoppin resigned and came 
home. One of his achievements was the discovery 
of a Spanish gun that the whole of Lawton's division 
couldn't locate during the investment of the town, 
according to the story, although they had ample 
reason to know it was somewhere about. While 



ffi:-. 



330 History of Troop "A" 

riding one morning, his attention was called to a 
trench on the hillside, which, on further investiga- 
tion, disclosed the Spanish field-piece in question, 
with a quantity of ammunition, which had been 
abandoned along with the gun. 

Charles R. Hickox, Jr., was assigned to the Sec- 
ond Infantry, and joined his regiment at Santiago, 
July 31st, shortly before it came home to Montauk. 
He soon afterward tendered his resignation, and it 
was accepted in time for him to spend a pleasan.t 
vacation of some seven weeks in Roosevelt Hospital 
as a typhoid patient. 

Charles Sidney Haight, who was assigned to the 
Fourth Artillery, is the only one of our half dozen 
regulars who still wears the uniform of old Uncle 
Sam. He reported at Tampa for duty with the siege 
train designed to batter the walls of San Juan de 
Puerto Rico about the heads of the Dons, but those 
crafty persons heard about it in some way and 
spared us the trouble. So Sidney's battery was 
ordered to return to Fort McHenry, Maryland. He 
effected an exchange into the Fourth Cavalry, and 
went to Manila. His anguish and disappointment 
at missing the Puerto Rico expedition may be 
gathered from the following composition by his 
facile pen, written on the spot that inspired the au- 
thor of "The Star-Spangled Banner." 



Commissions 33 1 

" Alas for soldier, alas for maid, 
Alas for those who at Tampa stayed ; 
Alas for those for warfare wishing, 
But always, alack, delay in transmission — 
For of all sad words of tongue or typewriter 
The saddest are these : — ' I'm an unfought fighter.' " 

Private Francis Burton Harrison was another of 
the men who had no idea whatever that the Govern- 
ment was wishful to thrust honor upon them. This 
appears from an assertion of his own made on a prac- 
tice march from Camp Alger, only fifteen minutes 
before the morning newspapers arrived containing 
the announcement that his nomination to be Cap- 
tain and Assistant Adjutant General had gone to 
the Senate. He left Washington for Chickamauga 
on the night of July 5th, with little conception of 
the duties of his new position, be it said; but there 
is abundance of testimony from the highest author- 
ity that he knew pretty much all about them long 
before his resignation was handed in and accepted. 
He was assigned on arrival at Camp Thomas to the 
Second Brigade, First Division, Third Army Corps, 
and remained on that duty until the Third Corps 
was merged into the Fourth, under command of 
Major-General Joseph Wheeler, U.S.V., October 
14th. Then he was assigned to the First Brigade, 
Second Division of that corps, commanded by 
Brigadier-General G. S. Carpenter, who, as Lieuten- 



332 History of Troop "A" 

ant-Colonel of the Seventh Infantry, was prominent 
in the capture of Caney. On September 4th his 
command had been moved to Anniston, Ala., where 
he remained until his return home and resignation, 
January 31st, 1899. 

While Harrison didn't get out of the United 
States at all, he came nearer on several occasions to 
being shot than many people who did, as some of 
the troops at Anniston, having come out to fight 
and finding no Spaniards convenient, showed a ten- 
dency at times to mix it up with each other. Bullets 
occasionally came near enough to his tent to make 
the situation highly realistic, and some miscreant 
celebrated Thanksgiving Day by shooting his clerk 
through the heart from behind. 

Private Townsend Lawrence was commissioned 
First Lieutenant in the Second United States Vol- 
unteer Engineers at about the same time that Rob- 
bins, Harrison and the regular contingent forsook 
us, and was assigned as aide-de-camp to General 
Ernst, where he had Captain Frank Polk as a tent- 
mate. Lieutenant Lawrence received his commis- 
sion and orders about the time that General Ernst's 
brigade was moved to Charleston to embark for 
Puerto Rico, and, after going all the way to Chicka- 
mauga only to find the command gone, finally 
caught up with it at tidewater. Like Breckenridge 



^ 




Commissions 333 

and Polk, he landed at Ponce, spent about ten days 
in camp there, accompanied General Wilson's col- 
umn to Coamo, and had an excellent view of the 
actions about that town and in front of Aibonito. 
Lack of space alone prevents our giving in full his 
most excellent and interesting description of the 
operations of this column. On the 14th of August, 
the day after the news of the Protocol arrived, he 
had a further notable experience in being sent into 
the enemy's lines with a flag of truce, thus being 
the first man on the American side to see the cele- 
brated Aibonito position, with its mined bridge and 
the intrenchments commanding every foot of road. 
Then followed six long weary weeks of rain, with 
the sick report of the brigade touching the forty 
per cent, mark constantly, when orders to advance 
to San Juan came. Headquarters had reached 
Cayey, thirty-six miles from San Juan, when a tele- 
gram came recalling the brigade to Ponce, whence 
they were brought home. 

In December General Ernst was assigned to the 
stafif of Major-General Brooke, Military Governor 
of the Island of Cuba, as Inspector-General, and 
sailed early in January, taking Lawrence with him 
as his personal aid. He returned in April, and was 
mustered out with his regiment at Augusta, Ga., 
May 26th, 1899. 



334 History of Troop "A" 

Sergeant Edward Liddon Patterson, on the even- 
ing of July 1st, was sitting in front of the guard 
tent smoking a cigar and trying to think how he 
came to be short a horse in his count, when a tele- 
gram was handed him requesting his attendance in 
Washington the next morning. Having secured a 
pass and gone into town accordingly, he was in- 
formed that he could have a commission in one of 
the New York volunteer regiments about to be 
recruited under the second call; also that Brigadier- 
General Guy V. Henry, U.S.V., was under orders to 
proceed to Santiago and would take him along if he 
could get ready to sail on the 5th. The time seemed 
rather short, but by a combination of good luck and 
desperate persistence and the fortunate postpone- 
ment of General Henry's departure for one day, he 
was mustered in as First Lieutenant of the 201st 
New York, and sailed from New York on the U. S. 
S. "St. Paul," Captain Sigsbee, on the evening of 
July 6th, arriving at Siboney and landing there on 
the loth. 

His campaign outfit consisted principally of a 
glaringly new "Khaki" uniform and an unfaltering 
trust that tentage and food would come somehow, 
which was fortunately realized. The last firing in 
the trenches was on the morning of the nth, just 
a few hours before Patterson ascended the San Juan 



Commissions 335 

hill and surveyed the lines. After four days on 
shore, with two or three different orders every day 
(showing that the use of the good old command, 
"As you were !" is not restricted to the volunteer 
army), General Henry and staff were ordered on 
board a transport, to make a landing with two regi- 
ments of infantry, not yet disembarked, to the west 
of the harbor and attack the Socapa battery and the 
other defences on that side. On the day fixed, hov- 
ever, Santiago capitulated, and General Henry, be- 
ing exceedingly wise in his generation, instead of 
rushing wildly back on shore to attend the ceremony 
of surrender, remained on board ship, and thereby 
contrived to get off with the Puerto Rico expedi- 
tion. The latter sailed from Guantanamo July 21st, 
and arrived at Guanica on the 25th, where Henry's 
"Provisional Division" were landed on that and the 
following days. Ponce having surrendered to an- 
other expedition, General Henry w^as ordered to 
move on to that city, where Patterson experienced 
the happiest moment of his life when he met Sey- 
mour Cromwell and his squad on the road to the 
Playa. From Ponce Henry's Column moved north- 
wardly on Arecibo, by Adjuntas and Utuado, and 
had just reached the latter place, within striking 
distance of the enemy, when the news of the Pro- 
tocol overtook them. Shortly afterward Lieutenant 



33^ History of Troop "A" 

Patterson returned home, joined his regiment for a 
few minutes, and was discharged from the United 
States service October I2th. 

Private Edwin Olaf Holter's narrative is tersely 
related by himself as follows : "During the first week 
in July, I left the troop, and after nervously watch- 
ing the tape (red) in Washington for about a week, 
I obtained a commission as Second Lieutenant, 
United States Volunteer Signal Corps. At the re- 
quest of Brigadier-General Adelbert Ames, of Mas- 
sachusetts, I was assigned to duty as aide on his 
stafif. The Assistant Adjutant -General, unable to 
longer resist, by reason of frequent personal visits 
from myself and friends, gave me an order to re- 
port at Santiago de Cuba by the first ship leaving 
Charleston or Newport News, Va. After buying 
out a tailor shop and brass factory in Washington, I 
hastened to Charleston to catch the steamer 'Grand 
Duchess,' but her sailing orders were suddenly 
countermanded and I returned, after a very hot trip, 
to Newport News. After waiting nearly a week 
longer in daily expectation of getting away, I re- 
ceived further orders to go to New York and take 
the steamship 'Olivette,' sailing about July 20th. 
Meanwhile Santiago had surrendered, but my sail- 
ing orders remained in full force. Leaving New 
York, in company with numerous second lieuten- 



Commissions 007 

ants, contract doctors and military derelicts, I set 
sail for Santiago. After rather a miserable trip of 
six days on the 'Olivette/ which was under the 
command of a military doctor, and which, I under- 
stand, gracefully sank on the next voyage, we 
reached the scene of the recent combat. Upon ar- 
riving I found the fever at its full height, and the 
army in a pitiful condition, owing to sickness and 
consequent scarcity of men and supplies. I sub- 
sidized a Cuban hack and reported to General Ames, 
who was camped four miles outside of Santiago, in 
command of the Third Brigade [Kent's Division], 
consisting of the Ninth, Thirteenth and Twenty- 
fourth Infantry. My military duties consisted of 
light family aiding, and were speedily cut short by 
the very welcome order which arrived about August 
7th for our brigade to march on board the 'Vigi- 
lancia' and sail for Montauk Point. We had a great 
many sick, and had some difficulty in getting them 
on board, but finally the 'Vigilancia' set sail, and 
we sailed out of Santiago to the tune of 'Home. 
Sweet Home,' played by about one per cent, of the 
regimental band, who were the only ones able to 
do duty. We arrived at Montauk Point for a final 
struggle for existence with United States commis- 
saries on or about August 14th. In the middle of 



L 



338 History of Troop "A" 

September I handed in my resignation. I received 
my discharge November 9th." 

Private Ervin Wardman was commissioned First 
Lieutenant in the 202d New York Volunteer In- 
fantry on July 22d, and assigned as aide-de-camp to 
Major-General Brooke, with whom he sailed from 
Newport News for Puerto Rico on the U. S. S. "St. 
Louis" on July 28th. He was among the first to 
land at Arroyo with the Brooke expedition, but 
missed the capture of Guayama through having been 
sent back to Ponce to hurry the cavalry assigned 
to General Brooke's command. He got under fire, 
however, on the occasion of a reconnaissance by 
Colonel Coit, of the Fourth Ohio, some days after- 
ward, and conducted himself with distinguished 
gallantry, although he modestly disclaims credit 
for much of the part in the afifair attributed to 
him by the press reports. He is warm in his praise 
of the conduct of Lieutenants Darrach and Hoyt 
during the operations about Guayama and toward 
Cayey. Subsequently he accompanied General 
Brooke and the other Peace Commissioners for 
Puerto Rico to San Juan, sailed from there on the 
U. S. cruiser "Cincinnati" to St. Thomas, and took 
steamer thence to New York, resigning his com- 
mission October 15th, 1898. 

Private Nathan M. Flower obtained a commission 



Commissions ooq 

as Captain and Quartermaster, and turned up in 
Ponce like almost everybody else in course of time. 
He was about to start for Arroyo in plenary com- 
mand of two transports when some envious fate 
caused him to fall down a hatch and break an arm 
and two ribs— the only member of Troop "A" who 
was wounded in the war! This, of course, neces- 
sitated his being invalided home, and he soon after- 
ward resigned. The untimely end of his military 
career was most regrettable, as he undoubtedly had 
a great future before him. He was the sweetest little 
Captain of the whole lot; even Frank Harrison 
didn't look any prettier in his uniform. 

Last of the list of those who left is Private Will- 
iam Williams, who was appointed Major and Com- 
missary of Subsistence, United States Volunteers, 
July 20th, 1898. After a few days at Newport News 
he was ordered to New York to prepare the trans- 
port "Chester" for sea and take charge of her on 
the voyage to Ponce, whither she was destined to 
carry the First Volunteer Engineers. It was while 
he was occupied in this duty that Wall Street was 
thrown into a panic by the clash of arms, and pre- 
parations were being made to defend the Sub-Treas- 
ury to the last rampart of silver dollars, when it was 
discovered that the commander of the raiders was 
armed with a warrant for the specie he demanded, 



340 History of Troop "A" 

and merely held the other force in reserve in case 
the custodian of the Government funds refused to 
honor it. Shortly after his arrival at Ponce, Williams 
was detailed as Chief Commissary in place of Major 
Black, of General Miles's staff. He turned to and 
discharged the very onerous and responsible duties 
of the position in a most exemplary manner, until 
ordered to return to New York in charge of the 
"Chester," about September ist. Upon his return he 
was attacked by typhoid fever, and went on sick 
leave to Europe to recover from its efifects. Williams 
was peculiarly fitted by his energy, conscientiousness 
and business experience for the position he filled, and 
in his knowledge of matters pertaining to water 
transportation he outclassed many regular officers 
in the Quartermaster's and Commissary Depart- 
ments. His resignation was accepted March 12th, 
1899. 

In conclusion, it may be said, without fear of 
contradiction, that while none of the men who 
left Troop "A" and accepted commissions attained 
to high command or achieved especial distinction, 
their record is a good one, and their comrades have 
every reason to feel gratified with it. And, on the 
other hand. Troop *A's" graduates, if they may be 
so termed, should, and do, feel proud of and grateful 
for their connection with it. The fact of having 



Commissions 04 1 

been a member of the New York Troop was a pass- 
port with army men everywhere, and caused officers 
to show much more interest in one of our men than 
they would have taken in the average volunteer or 
"fresh caught." And the feeHng that the departing 
ones had that, while separated from their former 
associations, they none the less held the honor of 
Troop "A" in their hands equally with their old 
comrades in the ranks, did much to make them the 
successes that they were in their new fields of user 
fulness. 



Hn nn)emoriam 



pbilip IReMncjton fIDubge Ibll^rctb 

Born at Flushing, N. Y., November 20, 1873 
Died at New York City, October 27, 1898 

The joy felt by the Troop at their home-coming 
with unbroken ranks was rudely dispelled by the 
sudden and unexpected death of Private Hildreth. 

He had been a member of the squadron but a 
very short time when Troop "A" went to Camp 
Black, and was personally known to but few of his 
future comrades. But, under the conditions of 
camp life, a brief period suffices to reveal the stuff 
of which a man is made; and really to know Phil 
Hildreth was to love him. He was an earnest and 
seemingly tireless worker, thoroughly imbued with 
a soldierly spirit, unselfish and conscientious to a 
degree. His most conspicuous characteristic was 
his unvarying cheerfulness, which was such as to 
make almost incomprehensible the melancholy that 
settled upon him from the fever he contracted dur- 
ing the campaign, and in the delirium of which the 
end came. 

" Taps " never sounded over the grave of a more 
loyal heart, and none of those who fell in the ex- 
citement of battle gave their lives for the flag more 
truly than did " dear old Phil." 



Muster-Out Roll 

{First date after name is ^^ joined or enrolled. " D. S. denotes 
" detached service.") 

"''""Altr'^vrT ""• ^^''r"'^ ' ''^^ ^' ^^^- Sick in Camp 
ft ft\T ' '^ ^'' ^" ^'"" °^ ^"'y- ^^"^°^^d to hospital 
atFt.Myer,June i, 1898. Left hospital July 23 on sick 
leave of absence for two months. Reported for duty Sept 8 
Resumed command of Troop Sept. 10 on return from P r' 
Ftrst Lieutenant Frederic R. Coudert, Jr.. May 2. 1803" 
In command of Troop June i-Sept. 10. Adjutant oi 
Squadron formed of Troops "A" and "C," May 27-Auff , 
i%'ov\ ^^^^"'"^ ^^^^' contracted in line of duty. Sept 

Second Lieutenant ]os^^^ S. Frelinghuysen. May 2. 1808 

Ordnance officer of Squadron June i-Aug. 3. On D S 

with deta.1 of sixteen men as escort to Capt. Evans.^^th 

nf^ and afterward to First Lieut. Preston. 9th Ca v., Aug. 

*o 25, in Jr. jK. 

^'''If 7'.?' ."^^^^^^^^ R- MOEN. May 2. 1898. D. S. with 
detail of twelve men to Santa Isabel. P. R.. Aug 25-Sept 7 

Quartermaster Sergeant Francis D. Bowne. May 2 1898' 
Acting Q. M. S. of Squadron June i-Aug. 3. D S with 
Lieut. Frelinghuysen. Aug. 10-25. 

Sergeants 

^'m'enl^r^T^''''' ^"^ '^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ detail of twelve 
men to Goto. Aug. 25— Sept. 6. 

Utuado as escort to First Lieut. Langhorne. ist Cav.. A. D. 

C. to Brig. Gen. G. S. Garretson. Aug. 23-Sept q 
Robert Emmet. D. S. with ten men to Coamo. Aug n-20 
HENRV M. Ward. May 2. Corporal May 2. 1898 Tppointed 

Sergt. June 6 t/ilr^ Pellew. ppomiea 



Edward M. Ward, May 19. Saddler May 19. Sergt. July 

4, vice Patterson. D. S., Phelps. 
Seymour Le G. Cromwell, May 2. Corp. May 2. Sergt. 

July 21, 1898, vice Maclay. D. S. with gun detail of four 

men, with Troop " B," 2d Cav., and afterward with Lieut. 

Frelinghuysen, Aug. 13—25- 

Corporals 

John L, Erving, May 2. D. S., Moen. 

Francis C. Huntington, May 2. D. S., Cammann. 

William J. Wallace, May 2. Corp. May 19. Sick in quarters 

at Ponce, P. R., Aug. 10—29 in line of duty. 
Henry I. Riker, May 2. Corp. June 6 vice H. M. Ward. 
William R. Wright, May 2. Corp. July 21, vice Cromwell. 

D. S., Moen. 
Benjamin W. Leigh, May 2. Corp. July 20, vice Hoyt. D. 

S., Frelinghuysen. Sick in hospital Aug. 24— Sept. 9 m 

line of duty (typhoid fever). Sent to Philadelphia on 

U. S. Hospital Ship " Relief." 
JOHN H. Iselin, May 2. Corp. July 21, vice Hoppin. Sick in 

quarters at Ponce, P. R., Aug. 7-23- Sent to N. Y. on 

sick leave. 
Irving Ruland, May 2. Corp. July 28, w^^ Haight. D. S., 

Phelps. 
Arthur F. Brown, May 2. Cook and corporal, Aug i. 

D. S., Frelinghuysen. 

Trumpeters 

Braithwaite, Albert E., May 2. Sick in quarters Ponce, 

P. R., in line of duty, Aug. 7— 13- 
Kerner, Howard S., May 2. Sick in quarters. Ponce, P. R. 

in line of duty (typhoid fever), Aug. 14-29- Sent to N. Y. 

on "Relief." 

Farriers 

Muller, Charles W., May 2. D. S., Phelps. 

Bird, Frank W., May 2. Sick in quarters, Ponce, P. R. 

(typhoid). Sent to N. Y. on " Relief." 
Saddler Becker, Frederick W., May 2. Appointed saddler 

July 4, vice E. M. Ward. 
Wagoner Glynn, James, May 2. 



Privates 

Adee, George T., July 12. D. S. Frelinghuysen, Sick in 

Hospital, Ponce, P. R. Sent home on " Relief." 
Barclay, Robert C, May 2. Sick in quarters, Ponce, Aug. 

7—23. Sent to N. Y. on sick leave. 
Barry, Robert P., Jr., May 2. Sick in quarters. Ponce, P. R., 

Aug. 18—30. 
Batcheller, Henry, May 19. D. S., Moen. 
Bayne, Ross C, May 2. D. S., Moen. 
Benkard, James G., May 2. Sick in quarters. Camp Alger, 

June 22 — July i. 
Beales, James A. G., July 23. D. S., Frelinghuysen. 
Blake, Arthur M., May 2. D. S. to Adjuntas, Aug. 20—21. 
Bradley, Stephen R., Jr., July 25. D. S., Frelinghuysen. 
Brown, Howard K., July 23. D. S., Phelps. 
Bruce, John M., May 2. Sick in hospital, Washington, D. C. 

(typhoid). On sick leave June 30— Sept. 10. 
Carusi, Charles F., May 2. Sick in quarters, Alger, May 

23— June 10. D. S. to Adjuntas, Aug. 20—21. 
Cannon, Henry B., July g. Sick in quarters. Ponce, P. R., 

Aug. Q— 2Q, Sent to N. Y. on sick leave, Aug. 29, " Relief." 
Chapman, John D., June 8. Sick in quarters. Ponce, Aug. 

21—29. 

Childs, Herbert H., May 2. Sick in quarters and hospital. 

Ponce, Aug. 7—23. Sent to N. Y. on sick leave, yacht 

" May," Aug. 23. 
Clark, James G., May 2. D. S., Frelinghuysen. Sent to N. 

Y. on " May," sick leave, Aug. 23. 
Conner, Lewis A., May 2. Sick leave of absence, July 8- 

Sept. 10. 
Conrow, Robert W., July 5. D. S., Emmet. 
Cox, Edward V., May 2. Hospital, Washington, D. C. Sick 

leave of absence, June 4— Sept. 11. 
Coyne, George W., June 8. Sick in quarters, Alger, June 

21—72. D. S., Emmet. Moen. 
Crombie, William M., July 11. D. S., Moen. 
Crowell, William B., June 8. D. S., Cromwell. 
Drake, William W., June 8. D. S., Emmet. Phelps 
Dyer, Lyman T., May 2. D. S.. Frelinghuysen. 



Emmet, Thomas A., Jr., July 8. Sick in quarters, Ponce, 

Aug. 20— Sept. 3. D. S., Emmet. 
Fisher, Henry J., July 25. D. S. to Mayaguez, Aug. 16—21. 

D. S. Moen. 
Fuller, Charles, May 2. 
Gillespie, Louis P., May 2. D. S., Moen. 
Goad BY, Arthur M., May 2. D. S., Moen. Sick with typhoid 

fever on "Mississipi," Sept. 7. 
Grannis, John H. D., June 8. D. S., Frelinghuysen. Sick 

with typhoid on " Mississipi," Sept. 9. 
Hall, Sherman R., May 2. D. S., Emmet. Moen. 
Heaton, William W,, June 8. D. S., Emmet. Sick in 

quarters. Ponce, Aug. 21— Sept. 3. 
Hill, John S., May 2. D. S., Cammann. D. S., Freling- 
huysen. 
Henry, Horace L., May 1 1. Transferred from Co. B., 3d N. Y. 

Vol. Inf., July 23, 1898. 
Hoeninghaus, Fritz W., May 2. D. S., Guayama, Aug. 12— 

15. Cammann. 
Holt, Henry E., May 2. D. S., Cammann. 
Horner, Leonard S., July 23. D. S., Cammann. 
Kerner, Charles H., Jr., May 2. Special duty Hospital 

Corps, Ponce. 
Kearny, Philip, May 2. Sick on "Mississipi," Sept. 7—10. 
KiLLiPS, Herbert, June 13. Transferred from 3d N. Y. V. 

Inf., July 23, 1898. Sick in quarters. Ponce, Aug. 12— ig. 
Knudsen, Arthur S., June 8. D. S., Cammann. 
Lannon, John D., June 8. D. S., Cammann. 
Ledyard, George S., May 2. D. S. to Coamo, Aug. 22—23. 
Lee, Franklin L., May 2. D. S., Emmet. 
Line, Arthur M., June 9. Special duty Hospital Corps. 

Returned to N. Y. on " Relief," with sick men. 
Littell, Emlen T., May 2. D. S., Phelps. 
Little, George J., May 2. D. S., Phelps. 
LocKETT, Arthur H., July 11. D. S., Phelps. 
Loveland, John W., May 2. Sick at Ponce, Aug. 16—22. 
Manning, Richard F., May 2. Sick July 5— Sept. 10 

(typhoid). 
McGusTY, Robert T., May 2. D. S. with Hoeninghaus. Sick 

Sept. 6—10 on " Mississipi." 



McKiNLAY, James B., June 8. D. S., Phelps. 

Mills, Robert D., June 8. D. S., Cammann. 

MuNROE, Vernon, July 23. D. S., Moen. 

Nichols, James O., May 2. Special duty, Ordinance De- 
partment. 

Outerbridge, Frank, May 2. D. S., Phelps. 

Perry, Henry W., June 8. 

Pierce, Reginald K., June 8. D. S., Emmet. 

Pierson, Thomas H., June 9. D. S., Cromwell. 

QuiNBY, Samuel L., May 2. D. S., Emmet. 

Redington, George O., May 2. D. S., Frelinghuysen. 

Satterlee, Henry S., May 2. L. C. July 20, 1898. D. S., 
Cromwell. 

Slidell, Thomas, June 8. D. S., Frelinghuysen. Sick 
Ponce, Aug. 14 — 19. 

Stevens, Francis K., June 8. Sick, Ponce, Aug. 28 — Sept. 3. 

Stillman, Leland S., June 8. D. S., Frelinghuysen. 

Terry, James T., May 2. D. S., Cammann. 

Thomson, Ernest A., May 2. L. C, July 20. 

Troescher, Robert F., June 8. D. S., Phelps. 

Valentine, Langdon B., May 2. D. S., Phelps. 

Van Vleck, Edgar W., July 23. D. S., Phelps. Sick, Ponce 
and on " Mississipi," Aug. 30 — Sept. 10. 

Veiller, Frank D., July 8. D. S., Cammann. 

Wallace, Gustavus S., June 8. D. S., Frelinghuysen. 

Wharton, Richard, July 8. D. S., Phelps. 

Webb, Karl, July 29. 

DISCHARGED FOR DISABILITY. 

Private Victor N. Cushman, June 9. Discharged June 2!. 

DISCHARGED BY ORDER. 
Sergeant Charles E. Pellew, May 2. June 6. ist Lieut. 

U. S. V. Sig. Corps. 
Private McKee D. McKee, May 2. June 6. 2d Lieut. U. S. 

V. Sig. Corps. 
Frank L. Polk, May 2. June 7. Capt. and A. Q. M., U. 

S. V. 
Sergeant Edward L. Patterson, May 2. July 4. ist Lieut., 

2oist N. Y. V. Inf. 



Private ETtwis O. UoLTBR, May 2. July ii. 2d Lieut., U. 

S. V. Sig. Corps. 
Francis B. Harrison, May 19. July 6. Capt. and A. A. G., 

U. S. V. 
Allan A. ROBBiNS, May 2. July 6. ist Lieut., ist U. S. V. 

Eng. 
Williams. Whitehead, Jr., May 2. July 6. 2d Lieut., 3d 

U. S. V. Eng. 
TowNSEND Lawrence, May 2. July 6. ist Lieut., 2d U. S. 

V. Eng. 
Ervin Wardman, May 2. July 10. ist Lieut., 202d N. Y. V. 

Inf. 
William Williams, June 25. July 21. Major and C. S., U. 

S. V. 
James M. A. Darrach, May 2. July 20. 2d Lieut., nth U. 

S. Inf. 
Corpora/ Enwi-^ C. Hoyt, May 2. July 20. 2d Lieut., iith 

U. S. Inf. 
5^?r^^a«/ Alfred B. Maclay, May 2. July 21. 2d Lieut. 

5th U. S. Inf. 
Private Charles R. Hickox, May 2. July 21. 2d Lieut,, 2d 

U. S. Inf. 
Corporal Gerard B. Hoppin, May 2. July 21. 2d Lieut., 5th 

U. S. Inf. 
Charles S. Haight, May 2. July 28. 2d Lieut., 4th U. S. 

Art. 
Private Nathan M. Flower, May 2. July 25, Capt. and A. 

Q. M., U. S. V. 
Amos R. E. Pinchot, May 2. Aug. 18. 
William M. Benjamin, June 8. Oct. 7. 

TRANSFERRED. 
Private Walter W. Price, May 2. July 10 to ist U. S. V. 

Cav. 
Charles A. Hutchinson, May 2. July 17 to ist U. S. V. Cav. 
Harold Barclay, June 8. July 8 to Hospital Corps, U. S. A. 

DIED. 
Private Philip R. M. Hildreth, May 2. Accidentally shot 
and killed, Oct. 27, 1898. 




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